Feb

8

How the Web has Changed Us

Filed Under Computers & Tech, Polemics & Politics on February 8, 2007 | 2 Comments

I don’t make a habit of posting links to youtube videos here but today I’m making an exception. We hear a lot of hype about Web2.0 and it can be very hard to explain it all to the average person on the street. I think this video does the trick very well. I’m not sure I’m a fan of the term Web2.0 and I’m not fond at all of a lot of the hype around it but you can’t deny the web is changing and it’s changing us. Anyhow, the video:

Feb

7

Some Thoughts on Steve’s Thoughts on Music

Filed Under Computers & Tech on February 7, 2007 | 9 Comments

Steve seems to have caused quite a bit of debate with the article he published on the Apple web site yesterday titled Thoughts on Music. Steve starts very sensibly by explain how we got to where we are now. He points out that Apple had no choice but to add DRM to the iTunes store or it would never have become a reality and he argues that Apple got a very good deal for customers with their FairPlay DRM. This is a point I’ve argued with Des for years now. What’s nice about this article is that Steve doesn’t simply defend FairPlay and leave it at that, instead he spells out three possible alternatives for the future. He’s luke-warm on the idea of keeping things as they are, positively against even trying to open up FairPlay (and makes a strong case for why it simply wouldn’t work) and finally argues strongly in favor of the third option, an end to DRM on legally downloaded music. This quote is just music to my ears (pun intended):

Imagine a world where every online store sells DRM-free music encoded in open licensable formats. In such a world, any player can play music purchased from any store, and any store can sell music which is playable on all players. This is clearly the best alternative for consumers, and Apple would embrace it in a heartbeat.

[tags]Apple, Steve Jobs, Music, DRM[/tags]

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Feb

5

Windows Vista – First Impressions of a Mac OS X User

Filed Under Computers & Tech on February 5, 2007 | 4 Comments

I just got my first go on Vista (with Aero). I didn’t get to play with it much so these really are my first impressions. I’ll be playing about with it quite a bit over the next few months so I’ll post with more details later. I’ve been hearing for ages how much like OS X Vista is so I was expecting to say ‘wow, this feels familiar’. That was my first reaction, but not because it reminded me of OS X, no, because it reminded me of Windows XP. Sure, it looks much shinier than XP but the user experience is basically the same. There is no big paradigm shift. This is not like the jumpt from Windows 3.1 to Windows 95 or arguably even from Windows 2000 to Windows XP. I was basically underwhelmed.

[tags]MicroSoft, Windows, Vista, OS X[/tags]

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Feb

4

Bart’s Planet Challenge 2007 – The Beginning

Filed Under Science & Astronomy on February 4, 2007 | 3 Comments

One of the things that occoured to me when Pluto got re-classified was that it is now possible to see all the planets in our solar system with nothing more expensive than a 19 Euro pair of binoculars from Lidel. So, this year my challenge to myself is to do just that, observe all the planets with nothing more than my 10×50 binoculars. Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will be very easy, the others will be more tricy. Mercury, because it spends so much time so close to the Sun that you are dependent on a clear western horision some time you can actually get out to see it within a few short windows each year, and Uranus and Neptune because they’ll require the binoculars to see. If you’re a beginner this is a very good challenge to help you get to know the sky and to become adept with your binoculars and/or telescope. I’d strongly advice you give this a go.

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Feb

2

Harry Potter’s Final Curtain is Only Months Away

Filed Under 42 (Life the Universe & Everything) on February 2, 2007 | Leave a Comment

I’ve had Frank Sinatra in my head ever since I heard that the last Harry Potter book will be out on the 21st of July this year. That will be the end. First off my predictions were totally off. I was convinced it would be Halloween or the Winter Solstice. I was of the opinion they’d never release a book and a film right at the same time let alone the LAST book and a film but that’s exactly what they’re doing. So, color me surprised as hell!

I have to say my initial reaction is not really one of joy but rather one of melancholy. I’ve been looking forward to the next Harry Potter book for years now. First it was the Order of the Phoenix, then it was the Half Blood Prince and now, for just a few more months, the Deathly Hallows. For years now there’s been the suspense as to what will happen next, the theories (mad and intriguing), the discussions with fellow fans …. the end is neigh.

Sure, it will be great to know how it ends, but what if I don’t like the ending, it could ruin everything! Years of fandom for a series that turns out to be a brilliant lead-up to a terrible ending! But I shouldn’t be thinking like this. JKR hasn’t disappointed yet so why should this book be any different? Why should it be any less enjoyable, funny, unexpected and brilliant? I’m sure it will be as great as I’ve imagined ….. but maybe no book CAN live up to such huge expectations …

[tags]Harry Potter, JK Rowling, Book 7, Deathy Hallows[/tags]

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