Don't let Granny Pam see this !

The Daily Puppy (Warning: Overly Cute).
Also goes with this: DogsBlog.com

Web 2.0 in just under 5 minutes (Youtube Video)

The term Web 2.0 (Two dot oh) has been widely used over the past year or two to describe the "next generation" of web services and technologies which "emphasize online collaboration and sharing among users" (Wikipedia Web 2.0).
The video (link) is a very nice summary for techies and non-techies alike - it's worth the 5 minutes.

MS Vista

There was lots of press coverage of the new MS Vista OS recently.
Some of my friends and family ask me for advice about technology and I usually make it clear that I generally dislike MS and their products and think they do not provide good value for money.
Increasingly both of the main options (Windows or Mac) utilise restrictive technology (e.g. DRM) to stop your computer doing what you want and doing what it is told by the content companies (i.e. music and film).
I think that Linux (see: www.getgnulinux.org) is now ready for most "civilian" users these days - although if you have some specialist needs or devices you may well be tied to a MAC or Windows.

Here are a couple of links to mainstream (i.e. not the geeky ones) reviews:

Dim Vista - Forbes.com: "Windows Vista: more than five years in the making, more than 50 million lines of code. The result? A vista slightly more inspiring than the one over the town dump. The new slogan is: 'The 'Wow' Starts Now,' and Microsoft touts new features, many filched shamelessly from Apple's Macintosh. But as with every previous version, there's no wow here, not even in ironic quotes. Vista is at best mildly annoying and at worst makes you want to rush to Redmond, Wash. and rip somebody's liver out."

NYT's David Pogue on Windows Vista : The New York Times' Tech Editor with an amusing video review (Youtube) comparing the "new features" in Windows Vista with Apple OSX.

Schneier on Security: DRM in Windows Vista: This is a bit more techy but worth reading about the restrictive technology in Vista.

Bottom line from me: Don't "upgrade" to Vista unless you really are sure you know why you want it.

Roddy Frame

It's my birthday tomorrow, and Alison very kindly treated me to a concert by Roddy Frame (myspace) on Sunday evening in Buxton (Opera House). It was a really great gig with a mix of old Aztec Camera classics and songs from his highly recommended recent CDs (The North Star, Surf and Western Skies).
There was an unusual interval when Roddy left the stage for "a cup of tea and to chillout" after some apparent problems with the sound, an inability to see the audience and perhaps some nerves due to the gig being filmed for a DVD.
On his return to the stage after some 10 minutes or so he received a very warm response from the audience and went on to give a really fine performance... Roddy suggested this might be due to a shared 'trauma bond'.
This thread over at the excellent fan site (www.killermontstreet.com) has some good reviews, comments and set list etc.
Thanks to Alison for getting the tickets... a big night out on a Sunday... blimey!

Cat on a piano

While watching this funny "cat on the piano" video (YouTube - Nora, The Piano-Playing Cat) I realised it was not so dissimilar from parts of a CD I had been listening to earlier...
Reconstructive Surgery - John Medeski & Matthew Shipp
hmmmm