The French are genuinely wonderful people. Most of the time. However, the latest idea to flow from those free-thinkers the other side of the tranche really does make you wonder what is going through some of their politicians' heads. Firstly there was that wonderful law that would have removed iTunes from the French market. Brilliant - just what the people want. But now, having seen that AOL has teamed up with Brightmail for the dreaded two-tier internet, a French minister has decided that an email and SMS tax would solve all problems with regards to the E.U.'s bloated budget. Now, the U.K.'s big budget rebate may be part of the problem, but I can think of many more problems that the E.U. ought to deal with before pointing the wagging finger at us. Like why every so often they move from Luxembourg to France. And then back again, just to keep the French happy. Now that I've bashed the French, back to this new proposal. Alain Lamassoure's proposal is guaranteed to make your life just a little more difficult, and yet more expensive. He wants users to pay a "tiny" tax of €0.15 (10p) on SMS text messages and €0.00001 on every email. Yes, 10p per SMS and a ten thousandth of a Euro on every email.

Firstly that charge on text messages is extortionate - and on top of the already inflated charges we pay for a single message. For an SMS you send (on average and without fancy EMS) 160 characters. I already pay 12p per text at a cost per character = 0.075p. For 22p per text, not only is Frenchie getting money from us, but we're paying nearly double per character. Remember that for 12p a text, we're already being charged nearly 10p more than it costs the networks to carry messages from phone to phone! Now why is email so dramatically less? I can send an almost infinite number of characters for hardly any money.

Secondly, these charges would apply to everyone - consumers, businesses and, wait for it, government departments! So, all those emails that Civil Sevants send will cost the government to send. Bizarre.

By this stage, you're wondering how on earth the 25 member states will be persuaded to sign up. I was too, until I read the last bit of the Guardian's article: "Say I send a text from Paris to Marseille, then the tax revenue would go to the French budget but if I sent a SMS from Brussels to London at least some of it would go to the EU. And messages sent outside the EU, to the US or Russia, say, could be used to help finance overseas development, ease hunger and poverty." I'm not going to counter the finance overseas and ease hunger and poverty. If this would help make a difference, I guess I could live with the charges - I'd simply send more emails thru a smart-device connected to 3G data. However, if money raised by local messages is going to the individual companies government, they're not going to veto it - even if the money ends up in the E.U.'s coffers eventually and not their own.

I'd like to think that even if you tried to circumvent the taxes (which would probably be highly illegal) the governments couldn't back-track you and ask for the taxes despite your efforts otherwise - all the government would do is try to squeeze the email provider hard enough, and voila, one eTax bill will land on your doorstop along with a hefty fine no doubt.

The reason I'm more than just pissed off with this is not just a knee-jerk reflex reaction. And it's partly to do with AOL's certified email (two-tiered internet) scheme. Whilst the E.U.'s proposal isn't Certified Mail-like (although a charging structure like this may prevent network clogging and enable faster SMS delivery!) I do object to this further opportunistic behaviour. "OOOh, email. We can make money on it somehow.". I recently answered a few questions for someone doing their degree dissertation. One of them was "If AOL proceed with their plans for Certified Mail, what impact do you expect it to have on you?" My response was: "Not a great deal - but the fact that it sets a precendent for others to follow means it would affect me more!" and that is exactly why I'm up in arms about this new idea. Once you can charge for guaranteed delivery, it wasn't going to be long before some idiot decided just to charge for current services.

I passed through London today on my back for the Bank Holiday weekend, and went into the UK Mac-mecca that's otherwise known as the Regent Street store. They're in the middle of a huge 'refresh' of the store, so it was a bit smaller and darker than normal (and likely to be this way for another 4 or 5 months!). I'll post my camera phone shots on Flickr when I can. But that's not my main gripe with the store. I wanted to check the online catalogue on one of the new MacBooks (see whether Apple stocked the particular case) and I couldn't get a connection to the net - something the store's homepage requires! Now, it could have been an Ethernet problem, but it appeared that the WiFi was being absolutely hammered. Apple really do need to sort this out, as it's going to lose business and piss a lot of people off. Perhaps a private WiFi for demo models at 801.11g, and then an 801.11b network for every other person.

Also, the staff were a little more pushy than those I've encountered before (including at Regent Street) which is a shame as Apple's retail 'ethic' is normally very 'hands-off' and genuinely happy to talk about Macs even if you may not buy something. Looks like I'll pop in on Monday, pay for an iTalk and will RLH* to get out of there. Although if I want a BTO MacBook, the woman said I'd be able to get HD upgrade done within the hour instore with the RAM (I'm sceptical so will ask someone else on Monday - but it could just be the Trafford Centre isn't big enough for the extra upgrade service whereas the flagship offers more posibilities, a logical conclusion!).

*Run like hell ;-)

An amusing link strictly for those who are not offended by coarse language: Tube Song! (Not Work Safe)

Last night I went to see M:I 3 at the cinema, and I was blown away by the movie. A proper plot and serious action sequences really made this film rock, whereas M:I 2 was really just a few action sequences thrown together by some half-baked plot. The entire cast is very excellent, and the effects are just amazing. Directed by J.J. Abrams (of Lost and Alias) with a brilliant soundtrack from Michael Giacchino, it really is a very good film, and I'd recommend going to see it.

On a side note, I'm going to be away travelling for the rest of today, and seeing folks until Monday. Whilst I will be checking my email pretty frequently, my general Mac-using will be reduced (sadly). I'll try and post on Saturday evening when I'm back from the Guinnes Premiership Final at Twickenham.

This morning I received the Mission Impossible soundtrack. Normally, I don't buy soundtrack CDs until I've seen the film. However there are a couple of exceptions:

• Hans Zimmer - Lion King, Gladiator
  
• Michael Giacchino - Composer for Lost, The Incredibles, Mission Impossible 3
  
• Bond Films

Zimmer and Giacchino are in my opinion two of the best film composers in the world, and even if the film is bad, it could more than likely be saved to some extent by a score from either of these two geniuses. I'm off to se M:i:III tomorrow, so I'll post more soon. The soundtrack is fantastic - the little twists on the original Lalo Schifrin tune, along with a brilliant sound quality and some genuinely excellent other tracks - and I'd really recommend you buy it after seeing the movie thru Amazon (nothing beats a proper CD!) or listen on iTunes first for the free preview!

Listening to ''Schifrin And Variations'', by Michael Giacchino

My willingness to queue wasn't quelled by being unable to attend the Cube opening - mind you this time lapse movie shows some pretty insane queueing!! Tonight I went with a small group of friends to see one of the most anticipated movies of the year. I have to say, I was impressed with some of the film - Ian McKellan's Sir Leigh Teabing, Hans Zimmer's score and some of the witty repartee. Unfortunately, Tom Hanks is really a little dry, and whilst he plays the part really well, the script really didn't explore Robert Langdon's personality. Large swathes of the book's little details were missing - the recollection of his speech that turns into Langdon's phonecall from Bezu Fache, the connection of Sophie with her brother being two examples - and why oh why they removed the scene at the King's College London Library I will never know - some great moments could have been put into the script there!

Using someone's mobile phone to search for "A Pope" was lame, and really just to Bondian to be plausible - it was sheer product placement just like the glistening Sony logo on Teabing's large plasma display which hit me like a tonne of bricks when you looked at it. In fact there really was a lot of placement - Sony TVs, Sony Ericsson phones & smartphones. French car makers got a lot of attention, yet strangely the Smart car wasn't really featured. Google wasn't either - some other search site was shown on the phone. Never since Die Another Day have I seen so much product placement. Another point that was missed was the fact that Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu book train tickets to Lille, not Brussels in the film.

Why did the film producers need to change the details?!

The story also didn't link the Senechaux with the recording devices, and infact ignored the line about the other three senechaux telling the same lie as Sauniere. The film is very graphic at times, and to be honest I was rather suprised at it being awarded a 12A certificate - all of us agreed it possibly ought to have been rated 15. Talking of mad queing, I would have taken a few photos (obviously outside the theatre!), but my hands were full of popcorn and a soft drink. There were about 500+ people queuing for our late night showing (of which there were 2 at the same time) starting at 2230 - and if you're planning to see it, go as early as possible. The ads and movie combined take 3 hours, so I've only just got back to halls!

Overall: A bit of a let down, particularly as so much was unecesarily cut out, however the saving graces above made it a relatively good film - although I'm not pre-ordering the DVD. If you've not read the book, don't go until you have. You simply won't understand the entire fuore around the film and book unless you've read the excellent novel first. We're planning to go see another film soon, probably Mission impossible III as that's been well received and it's a good filler for the Bond film in November. The Bond trailer was shown tonight before the film - looks very slick, and I am looking forward to that one too. Shame the films critics were right, but an enjoyable evening nonetheless. The photo below was taken in the queue whilst I tried to eat some popcorn handsfree. Not particularly elegant, but my halo is just visible ;-)

iTunes isn't running ('it's only 2.45am' I hear you say!) but if it were, I'd probably be listening to Barber Symphony Number 1 in E Minor.... or the Gladiator Soundtrack for the 100th time!

A few weeks ago I announced my intention to be in New York for the opening of the cube. As it transpired, I simply couldn't make it - classes today and tomorrow. Anyway, Gary Allen - the oracle behind all things Apple-store related, is there, and has put online a simply amazing photo of the cube. Am I jealous about not being there? Jealous would be an understatement - but that's life! Time to go to the Arndale and see what they'll tell me about the Apple store there!

View the photo here

Due to essential maintenance by my webhost, there will be possible downtime between the times of 6am to 2pm BST on both Friday and Saturday (19th/20th May). My email read: "Although we do not expect your site to be down for the entire time, we want to make sure our technicians have enough time to correct any unexpected issues that may arise." I'll be attempting to blog whenever I can, but apologies if the site & RSS aren't available.

I've spent this morning with a mate at the Trafford Centre, and in the course of things, the iBook replacing MacBook just happened to drift into sight. Oh. My. Word. These machines are so amazing - the speed of them is remarkable, the design and screen are incredible, and I love MagSafe! Audio Inputs in both Analogue and Digital are a good step forward, and the Powerbook G4 12" by them looked just old and clunky. The new laptops are really light, and the new keyboard is a really cool, yet functional design! Watch this space - I might be going Universal soon. You never know what my land on my doorstep.....I'm hoping for an early, MacBook shaped birthday present soon. :-D

The Apple staff are all clamouring after these, and aren't allowed to buy them yet! Pity them, even though there's no Black ones on display yet! The Apple Online store has gone from 3-5 days to ship the black model, to 5-7 days in the space of 2 hours! The demand must be high. What do you think readers? Black or White? I'm gonna look at one in the flesh before I make up my mind. The photos on Apple.com sadly make it look like a ThnkPad at times, but I'm excited :-D

Listening to ''Rainbow Body'', by Christopher Theofanidis

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

OK, the low down:

MacBook At a Glance

• 1.83GHz or 2.0GHz Intel Core Duo
  
• 13.3-inch (diagonal) TFT glossy widescreen display
  
• Apple Remote with Front Row
  
• Up to 2GB memory
  
• Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950
  
• Slot-loading optical drive
  
• Up to 120GB hard drive
  
• Built-in 54-Mbps 802.11g AirPort Extreme wireless
  
• Analog and digital audio in and out
  
• FireWire 400 and USB 2.0 ports
  
• iLife ’06, Mac OS X Tiger

Bear in mind that the Black MacBook goes for £150 more than the top of the range white MacBook [only one Black model]. The lowest model is astounding value, especially if you're a student/educator as it comes to £704! *Fights the urge to upgrade!*

What should my next Mac be? Oh the choices! If you want to get one now, they should be in stock at the Apple Stores in the UK by the end of today! :-D But please don't sue me if it gets delayed - sometime this week Apple's stores are gonna be B-U-S-Y!\

Listening to ''Dies Mercurii I Martius'', from The Da Vinci Code Soundtrack

This Video has had me laughing all day. Read the story here, read the real Guy Kewney's response here, and laugh. Loudly! ;-)

For a while, I've moaned and generally bitched about how GMail hadn't given me all the extra features that newer accounts have. Now, I've got the integrated gChat and I'm blown away by it. I love everything about it - the integration in a web browser [that isn't Internet Explorer] with email. A couple of things I wish were more flexible - chat outside of Gmail but still in the browser, and also some rich text formatting. But for starters it's good. Have a look at the view of GMail left. OK, my contacts are blanked out, but that's not the point ;-) There's some nifty emoticon tricks too. No images, but the AJAX goodness does rotate the emoticons so they appear in the right alignment and the chats are all available online through Gmail. I love it! If you've not got GMail, let me know and I'll send you an invite.

Listening to ''Barbarian Horde'', from Gladiator

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

Apologies for the lack of postings. I've been really busy recently. In the mean time, there's a teaser out from RealMacSoftware about the new release of RapidWeaver [due this month]. Check it out here!

Apple Computer today won their trademark dispute with Apple Corps. Apple Corps are, unsuprisingly, going to appeal but are likely to have to pay court costs of around £2-5 million! Hopefully the Beatles' music will no go on iTunes - its the easiest way to re-coup that kind of money!

Listening to ''No Tomorrow'', by Orson

Manchester isn't a city known for it's good weather, however the last few days we've been hit with something of a heatwave. Picnics have been called, and catching a few rays has become a favourite past-time of everyone in college. We went to the park this afternoon. It's normally pretty miserable there, but it was PACKED. Only took 2 photos, but have a look at them on Flickr!

After weeks of silence from the Arndale, a small sign has gone up that confirms that the Apple Store in the Arndale is in the location I revealed in February. More here.

Listening to ''Now We Are Free'', from Gladiator

Apple has unleashed a huge amount of Mac propaganda today [BST ;-)] and it's great to see Apple actually advertising the Mac and not the iPod [great though the silhouettes are!]. No word on UK release yet, but it looks as though it's gonna be a great year for the Mac!

Nearly all my photo albums are in rapidflickr now - I'll be finishing them off this week.

Listening to ''Theme From Armageddon'', by Trevor Rabin

I've been rather busy today, working with rapidflickr to get some of my high demand photos off of my server, and onto Flickr's bandwidth bill. John McLaughlin's brilliant plugin means there's some seriously slick slideshows to be tried out from here, and watch out for more 'conversions' possibly in the next few days - definitely by the end of this week. It's great as it gives you so many cool display options, whilst not increasing your bandwidth bill - plus it means you can work using any Mac with RW and rapidflickr without worrying about iPhoto not being the same. Cheers John!

Listening to ''Night on the Bare Mountain'', by Mussorgsky

I've started a new category today on my blog that's dedicated to bring you the occasional tip on Rapidweaver. I'm going to be putting the first entry online very soon - it's a Rapidweaver + rapidflickr plugin tip that you might find useful if you're serving up images to your website's visitors. Unfortunately, those of you using Windows will not be able to use the tips unless you switch - but there's never been a better reason to!

Listening to ''I Love New York'', by Madonna