Coole Games - Hit the pinguin (HOT!)
More penguin related mayhem - thanks to jamesh for the tip
[See earlier item]
Tuesday, February 17, 2004
World of Ends Concise and highly clueful essay on the internet... makes lots of points which seem so very obvious, especialy once they are articulated so clearly by somebody else ! Worth a read for anyone interested in the internet and the future of humanity.
What the Internet Is andWritten by Doc Searls and David Weinberger - who were behind the highly influential (apparently) 1999 book/essay the cluetrain manifesto
How to Stop Mistaking It
for Something Else.
Monday, February 16, 2004
Wikitravel
I ran accross this nice site just recently... may be a good introduction to "Wikis" for those who are uninitiated.
I ran accross this nice site just recently... may be a good introduction to "Wikis" for those who are uninitiated.
Wikitravel is a project to create a free, complete, up-to-date and reliable world-wide travel guide. So far we have 1147 destination guides and other articles written and edited by Wikitravellers from around the globe. Check out the Help page to see how you can edit any page right now.
Apple plays Big Brother
A nice (large, slow to download/play) remix advert pointing out the very strange and outrageous position of the Recording Industry establishment, plus Coke, plus Apple.
A nice (large, slow to download/play) remix advert pointing out the very strange and outrageous position of the Recording Industry establishment, plus Coke, plus Apple.
Our World Our Say
An interesting site/organisation agitating and petitioning for a proper ("full, independent and open") inquiry as to why Britain went to war with Iraq (er, I thought it was to protect access to Oil, which is running out, and seeing as iraq has the second largest oil reserves....)
An interesting site/organisation agitating and petitioning for a proper ("full, independent and open") inquiry as to why Britain went to war with Iraq (er, I thought it was to protect access to Oil, which is running out, and seeing as iraq has the second largest oil reserves....)
Identity
Our World Our Say is a non-party political organisation with no specific religious affiliation.
Mission
Our World Our Say works to give people a voice when politicians circumvent them, particularly over world changing issues. Through re-connecting ordinary citizens with their elected representatives and giving them a voice, we aim to give people power over their own future and invigorate the democratic process.
Friday, February 13, 2004
Ziggy gave-Away Guitaaaaarrhhhaaaarrrsssss ! Bowie Donates 2 Guitars
"David Bowie has been supporting B.A.D.D. Bikers Against Drunk Drivers for over 18 years and has signed two donated Takamine 12-string acoustics. David also personalized them with lyrics to Ziggy Stardust and Rock 'N' Roll Suicide."
Copy-crippled CDs launch in UK
More on this ongoing saga of stupidity... remember, CDs that the record companies call "copy protected" are actually broken, and do not comply with technology standards... don't but copy protected CDs ! If you want to stop piracy, don't pirate your collection or download pirated music.... it's easy !
More on this ongoing saga of stupidity... remember, CDs that the record companies call "copy protected" are actually broken, and do not comply with technology standards... don't but copy protected CDs ! If you want to stop piracy, don't pirate your collection or download pirated music.... it's easy !
Crippled CDs that won't play on many CD drives, including car players, crept onto the UK market last month. Of course the CDs, which break the Red Book standard, don't allow you to copy the music. And on some car players they play nothing but silence.
Thursday, February 12, 2004
Guardian comment piece Blair's claim is simply incredible.
A former senior intelligence officer challenges Lord Hutton's account.
A former senior intelligence officer challenges Lord Hutton's account.
truly, madly, geeky, you have to love this...Jeff Russell's STARSHIP DIMENSIONS
"this site is intended to allow science fiction fans to get an impression of the true scale of their favorite science fiction spacecraft by being able to campare ships accross genres, as well as being able to compare them with contemporary objects with which they are probably familiar. The scales are based on meter-to-pixel ratios so that they are accurate on any platform"
Monday, February 09, 2004
Tuning in to the surreal voice of God
Thanks to Ciaran for the tip...
Thanks to Ciaran for the tip...
"A look at the impact of Maradona’s involvement in a TV talk show."
Aussie Glossie
From Steve "The Crocodile Hunter" Irwin's TV web site...
From Steve "The Crocodile Hunter" Irwin's TV web site...
Crikey! What did Steve just say? Learn some popular phrases from the land down under.
Thursday, February 05, 2004
Cyberloo blast rocks Stoke-on-Trent
The Register reports on "Roof blown off killer roboconvenience" - hysterical punning report... also see links to his earlier reports, confirming his theory of these incidents being the beginning of "humanity's innevitable war with the machines". Lovely stuff.
The Register reports on "Roof blown off killer roboconvenience" - hysterical punning report... also see links to his earlier reports, confirming his theory of these incidents being the beginning of "humanity's innevitable war with the machines". Lovely stuff.
Guardian Unlimited Football Columnist Richard Williams on why skilful footballers should be allowed to do their tricks:
Here, here - could not agree more ! - do read the whole piece, but here's a nice extract...:
Here, here - could not agree more ! - do read the whole piece, but here's a nice extract...:
"....in the first leg of a Carling Cup semi-final, Jay Jay Okocha lined up a free-kick outside the left-hand corner of Aston Villa's penalty area. In front of him stood two defenders, covering the near post. As he prepared to run up, at about 45 degrees to the left of the ball, there could have been only one thing in his mind: to curl it with his instep over the wall and towards the far post. Nothing else was possible.
Instead, despite approaching the ball at that wide angle, Bolton's Nigerian midfield genius contrived to strike it with the outside of his right boot, sending it around the left side of the defensive wall and just inside the near post. Goodness knows how he produced such scorching, snaking velocity at such an unexpected trajectory from such a disguised approach. A double-jointed ankle, perhaps. Or maybe just a double-jointed imagination."
Wednesday, February 04, 2004
Google Guide: Interactive Tutorial Making Search Even Easier
"Why Take The Google Guide Tutorial?
Google is so easy to use, why take this online tutorial? If you're like many people, you use only a fraction of Google's features and services. The more you know about how Google works, its features and capabilities, the better it can serve your needs."
Tuesday, February 03, 2004
New Film on Johan Cruyff in Barcelona... Reign in Spain
"When the Dutch footballer Johan Cruyff moved to Barcelona, the people thought he was an angel. Geoffrey Macnab reports on a remarkable film portrait of Catalonia "
Football Anorak - as they say themsleves... "Comprehensive UK Football statistics for gamblers and fans alike"
Wednesday, January 28, 2004
Guitars!
of interet to some of my guitar playing friends... these high tech art-meets-craft guitars www.teuffelguitars.com
Also, for guitar techies, former Bowie Axe-Man (as they say in rock journalism) Reeves Gabrels discusses technique and rigs and equipment and all that to quite astounding depth on his website Q&A Page
...and another of my fave guitarists goes into even more detail about such stuff on his website: 'splattercell.com'
of interet to some of my guitar playing friends... these high tech art-meets-craft guitars www.teuffelguitars.com
Also, for guitar techies, former Bowie Axe-Man (as they say in rock journalism) Reeves Gabrels discusses technique and rigs and equipment and all that to quite astounding depth on his website Q&A Page
...and another of my fave guitarists goes into even more detail about such stuff on his website: 'splattercell.com'
Tuesday, January 27, 2004
badgerbadgerbadger
I think I'm late to this one, though I've yet to find anyone who already knows it ?
Hampster[sic] Dance for this century ?
I think I'm late to this one, though I've yet to find anyone who already knows it ?
Hampster[sic] Dance for this century ?
The Oracle of Bacon at Virginia
Thanks to Jives for the tip...
[Also see earlier item on the Baconizer]
Thanks to Jives for the tip...
If you like the Kevin Bacon game you'll love this game that links any actor/actress to any other!
[Also see earlier item on the Baconizer]
Magnificent Union of Digitally Downloading Artists
Launched by Brian Eno & Peter Gabriel, this very much reflects my point of view regarding distribution and consumption of digital music. It asks and answers the fundamental question... "Who needs the (old school big and greedy) record labels ?"
here are some links...
Wired News: Just Say 'No' to Record Labels
BBC NEWS Gabriel to launch musicians' union
MUDDA Website
Launched by Brian Eno & Peter Gabriel, this very much reflects my point of view regarding distribution and consumption of digital music. It asks and answers the fundamental question... "Who needs the (old school big and greedy) record labels ?"
here are some links...
Wired News: Just Say 'No' to Record Labels
BBC NEWS Gabriel to launch musicians' union
MUDDA Website
Monday, January 26, 2004
The era of sentient footballs
A new technology from Europe: RFIDs inside footballs to gather data and -- most importantly -- confirm the ball's location on the field in real time. The article is auf Deutsch, but reader Christopher has provided an excellent English summary, quoted below.
IKEA WALKTHROUGH v2.3.1
I love this, definately worth a read...:
I love this, definately worth a read...:
"IKEA is a fully immersive, 3D environmental adventure that allows you to role-play the character of someone who gives a shit about home furnishings. In traversing IKEA, you will experience a meticulously detailed alternate reality filled with garish colors, clear-lacquered birch veneer, and a host of NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS (NPCs) with the glazed looks of the recently anesthetized."
Friday, January 23, 2004
Thursday, January 22, 2004
Thursday, January 15, 2004
Wednesday, January 14, 2004
lunchclock.com - Covertly Extend Your Lunch Hour!
I love this - very nice thought process involved here...
I love this - very nice thought process involved here...
"Lunchclock uses a trivial and hence unpatented chrono-distortion algorithm to calculate how much to speed up or slow down the clock based on the details of your working day and your desired lunch period extension"
Proper use of the Photoshop trademark
Corporate Madness...
Corporate Madness...
The Photoshop trademark must never be used as a common verb or as a noun. The Photoshop trademark should always be capitalized and should never be used in possessive form, or as a slang term. It should be used as an adjective to describe the product, and should never be used in abbreviated form. The following examples illustrate these rules:
Trademarks are not verbs.
CORRECT: The image was enhanced using Adobe® Photoshop® software.
INCORRECT: The image was photoshopped.
So Melanie , what first attracted you to Billionaire software CEO Larry Ellison ?
Larry Ellison's most important merger / Oracle CEO ties knot with novelist at Woodside estate; Steve Jobs takes wedding photos"Billionaire software CEO Larry Ellison and romance novelist Melanie Craft sealed an eight-year courtship by marrying during the winter holidays, the couple told The Chronicle Tuesday.
The wedding was the first for Craft, 34, and the fourth for Ellison, 59, CEO of Oracle, the world's No. 2 software-maker.
The couple married on Dec. 18 at Ellison's 45-acre Japanese-style compound in Woodside. The ceremony was conducted beside a waterfall by Rep. Tom Lantos, D-San Mateo, a close friend of the couple, and attended by Ellison's best friend, Apple computer co-founder Steve Jobs, and his wife, Laurene. Jobs did double duty as the wedding photographer."
Tuesday, January 13, 2004
Friday, January 09, 2004
Music site tries floating price tags
An interesting approach...
An interesting approach...
A little known online music store is experimenting with a new pricing system in which most songs start out costing a dime, and their prices fluctuate from there based on customer demand.
Thursday, January 08, 2004
Monday, January 05, 2004
Sunday, January 04, 2004
Monochrom Brandmarker
Very intersting survey into the reality of brand recognition. I think the BP one is particularly interesting, as they have spent a lot of money on rebranding to their new "greener" image, and yet many people seem to still associate the older "classic BP Shield" logo.
Very intersting survey into the reality of brand recognition. I think the BP one is particularly interesting, as they have spent a lot of money on rebranding to their new "greener" image, and yet many people seem to still associate the older "classic BP Shield" logo.
Monday, December 22, 2003
Bowie not interested in "honours"
"Bowie said he was not interested in gongs. 'I would never have any intention of accepting anything like that,' he said.
'I seriously don't know what it's for. It's not what I spent my life working for."
"Bowie said he was not interested in gongs. 'I would never have any intention of accepting anything like that,' he said.
'I seriously don't know what it's for. It's not what I spent my life working for."
Tuesday, December 16, 2003
Friday, December 12, 2003
Who's in charge of the Internet?
Interesting essay on the control and management (or lack of) of the internet.
Interesting essay on the control and management (or lack of) of the internet.
Very funny "alternative" London Tube Map tubemap.jpg. I love the stream of conciousness naming of the stations as you follow a tube line along.
Two nice MS Word parodies...
BBspot - Word 2004 to Pioneer AutoUnsummarize Feature
Northern Word
BBspot - Word 2004 to Pioneer AutoUnsummarize Feature
"Microsoft announced a revolutionary new feature will appear in Word 2004 called AutoUnsummarize. The technology works by taking short, concise sections of text and expanding them to any specified length."
Northern Word
"All the usual Word menu option are there, but in a language your Northern England employees can understand"
Thursday, December 11, 2003
Thunderbirds are Go!
I loved thunderbirds as a wee lad, and I suppose I still do !
I noticed this Thunderbirds trailer is go! at BoingBoing (a blog worth regular visits). The trailer is pretty big, but the thunderbird craft (the stars of the show) look pretty authentic.
It prompted me to check here: comingsoon.net which has some stills and blurb, and then here: IMDb Forum: Thunderbirds which contains some worrying stories about a butchered screenplay... :-( lets just hopw they're wrong.
I loved thunderbirds as a wee lad, and I suppose I still do !
I noticed this Thunderbirds trailer is go! at BoingBoing (a blog worth regular visits). The trailer is pretty big, but the thunderbird craft (the stars of the show) look pretty authentic.
It prompted me to check here: comingsoon.net which has some stills and blurb, and then here: IMDb Forum: Thunderbirds which contains some worrying stories about a butchered screenplay... :-( lets just hopw they're wrong.
St Trevor of Brooking tells it like it really ought to be !
Trevor's opinion piece in the Guardian Our good health is refrershingly spot on.
Trevor's opinion piece in the Guardian Our good health is refrershingly spot on.
"The relationship between sport and alcohol does not have to be a disaster for the nation's wellbeing"
The World's best looking bands
Another to add to the "Worster Album Covers Ever" collections.
[see See earlier item]
Another to add to the "Worster Album Covers Ever" collections.
[see See earlier item]
Tuesday, December 09, 2003
Friday, December 05, 2003
Thursday, December 04, 2003
elgooG Funtastic mirroring technology... take a look - and try a search (watch out you hit the right button).
The CIA Assassination of John Lennon
Just because you're paranoid... single page comic strip on the death of Lennon.
Just because you're paranoid... single page comic strip on the death of Lennon.
Wednesday, December 03, 2003
George Monbiot on the oil crisis.
This article Bottom of the barrel addresses the most critical issue facing our "civilisation". I have been (semi) following this for a couple of years, since seeing a BBC Monry Program TV show, and then hearing a Radio 4 science show, which in both cases even the most rose-tinted optimistic predictions of oil reserves vs peak usage had seriously scary implications.
Read this article, and see if you can answer the question:
This article Bottom of the barrel addresses the most critical issue facing our "civilisation". I have been (semi) following this for a couple of years, since seeing a BBC Monry Program TV show, and then hearing a Radio 4 science show, which in both cases even the most rose-tinted optimistic predictions of oil reserves vs peak usage had seriously scary implications.
Read this article, and see if you can answer the question:
"The world is running out of oil - so why do politicians refuse to talk about it?"
Politicians: Professional Communicators who can't communicate...?
I expect everyone heard about the award to Donald Rumsfeld
However, as Simon Hoggart reports this week, we can be justly proud of our very own Mr John Prescott, who apparently said:
I expect everyone heard about the award to Donald Rumsfeld
United States Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has won Plain English Campaign's annual 'Foot in Mouth' award for the most baffling statement by a public figure.His winning entry:
"Reports that say that something hasn't happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns"
However, as Simon Hoggart reports this week, we can be justly proud of our very own Mr John Prescott, who apparently said:
"I don't know, in conversations with the Tory administration may have meant no, if you look on the record they have no money to put into the housing, but I'm afraid that the kind of reforms, we brought, in fact if you look at resources I have been looking on the record of the spokesman for opposition, who in fact, the secretary of state, there are six secretaries of state so I can't keep up with them, anyway, the one who's the leader of the group of secretaries of state at the moment, and he has had I think in his case the housing investment over the five or six years halved during that period has doubled over the same period of my administration!"
JP Brown's Serious LEGO - CubeSolver
"This robot solves the 3x3x3 Rubik's Cube®.
I started to think about this problem in about August of 2000. In Jan 2001 fellow Mindstorms forums user 'agiecco' announced his intention to work on a robotic solution and, simultaneously, I saw that Rubik's Cubes were on sale at www.target.com. So I bought a couple of cubes and started getting down to business..."
Delayed GNER Wi-Fi train trial steams out
UK train company GNER yesterday began a free, 19-day Wi-Fi trial on board rail services out of London's Kings Cross to Scotland and the North of England."[See earlier item]
Sunday, November 30, 2003
Umberto Eco on The future of books
"Vegetal and mineral memory: The future of booksOK, confession, I skimmed this as it's pretty long... however he makes some interesting points on the relationship between techonologies and "books", and where he see's things going...
The city of Alexandria played host on 1 November to the renowned Italian novelist and scholar Umberto Eco, who gave a lecture in English, on varieties of literary and geographic memory, at the newly opened Bibliotheca Alexandrina. Al-Ahram Weekly publishes the complete text of the lecture"
Friday, November 28, 2003
Whistle blows at West Ham
More coverage over at KUMB
"Plc under fire from disillusioned shareholders with a blueprint to protect the club from poachers"This looks like a genuinely serious attempt wrestle control of West Ham from the current board. Interesting to see "fans" actually tackling the board via corporate means...
More coverage over at KUMB
Modeling the Internet.
"This project was created to make a visual representation of a space that is very much one-dimensional, a metaphysical universe".This fantastic image (quite large) looks rather like a map of a galaxy to me...
Thursday, November 27, 2003
Slashdot on Ways to Beat the Telecommuting Blues
Some interesting commentary on the pros and cons of telecommuting. I have worked from home for the last year or so, in my current job, and before that various other roles at Oracle enabled me to work from home.
Some interesting commentary on the pros and cons of telecommuting. I have worked from home for the last year or so, in my current job, and before that various other roles at Oracle enabled me to work from home.
Wednesday, November 26, 2003
The Guardian - Why I love Balamory
Funny piece on Balamory, the greatest kids show on TV !
I actually love this show... it shares many of the best characteristics from the seminal 60's trilogy (holy trinity ?) of Camberwick Green/Trumpton/Chigley, with characters identified by their own individual songs and occupations.
Charlie loves balamory (or "More More" as he calls it) too, which is good, as I sometimes let him watch it with me.
Funny piece on Balamory, the greatest kids show on TV !
I actually love this show... it shares many of the best characteristics from the seminal 60's trilogy (holy trinity ?) of Camberwick Green/Trumpton/Chigley, with characters identified by their own individual songs and occupations.
Charlie loves balamory (or "More More" as he calls it) too, which is good, as I sometimes let him watch it with me.
Tuesday, November 25, 2003
Where have all the cool people gone?
Guardian article on Shoreditch - an area I've come to know a little since joining object 1, who've been based there throughout the trendy years. Seems like once people as un-hip as me get to work there, it's all down hill...
[see See earlier item]
Guardian article on Shoreditch - an area I've come to know a little since joining object 1, who've been based there throughout the trendy years. Seems like once people as un-hip as me get to work there, it's all down hill...
[see See earlier item]
Saturday, November 22, 2003
LURGI Strikes Britain.
We in our house were recently struck down by a horrible stomach-bug-virus-thing.... all OK now, however I had no time to post here for a while... so - big catchup with several items posted today [note that the dates are when the items were originally spotted by me, rather than when they were posted/published onto this blog].
We in our house were recently struck down by a horrible stomach-bug-virus-thing.... all OK now, however I had no time to post here for a while... so - big catchup with several items posted today [note that the dates are when the items were originally spotted by me, rather than when they were posted/published onto this blog].
Friday, November 21, 2003
What would the Victorians have made of the interweb?
THE VICTORIAN INTERNET is a wonderful (if slightly mixed quality) set of contributions from readers... well worth a look.
THE VICTORIAN INTERNET is a wonderful (if slightly mixed quality) set of contributions from readers... well worth a look.
Comment on Online Music Biz.
I found I agreed with just about all of Michael Robertson's views on the current online "goldrush" for digital music.
DRM music goldrush is a race for losers: mp3.com founder talks to The Register"
I found I agreed with just about all of Michael Robertson's views on the current online "goldrush" for digital music.
DRM music goldrush is a race for losers: mp3.com founder talks to The Register"
Thursday, November 20, 2003
Christmas toys for kids of all ages.
Anne Taintor Inc. - Cool Coasters, Magnets, Notebooks, Photo Albums and More!
iwantoneofthose.com gadgets & gizmos, gift ideas & games for a cool lifestyle from
boysstuff.co.uk Boys Stuff Big Boys Toys, Gifts For Birthday, New Gadgets, Weird Ideas, Men's Toys, Christmas Presents, Gifts For Men, Gifts For Women & Men's Toys
Anne Taintor Inc. - Cool Coasters, Magnets, Notebooks, Photo Albums and More!
iwantoneofthose.com gadgets & gizmos, gift ideas & games for a cool lifestyle from
boysstuff.co.uk Boys Stuff Big Boys Toys, Gifts For Birthday, New Gadgets, Weird Ideas, Men's Toys, Christmas Presents, Gifts For Men, Gifts For Women & Men's Toys
Bowie UK concert review by distractions friend Gavin
RELAXED BOWIE AT HIS BEST - By Gavin Martin - Mirror Music Critic
It seems I have missed both Bowie & Sylvian tours this year - shame on me (where ARE my priorities!?).
RELAXED BOWIE AT HIS BEST - By Gavin Martin - Mirror Music Critic
It seems I have missed both Bowie & Sylvian tours this year - shame on me (where ARE my priorities!?).
Friday, November 14, 2003
The truth about mobile phones and driving from The Register - interesting coment and some clarification on the law that comes into effect in December.
Thursday, November 13, 2003
Football look-alikes.
A bunch of these were doing the rounds last week... I received the same email from 3 sources. Strange thing is, somebody had downloaded the pics from football365.com and then emailed them around in a Word doc..
Some links
Football365.com: "FOOTBALL LOOKALIKES"
Football look-alikes: Some the "original ones" from a couple of years ago...
A bunch of these were doing the rounds last week... I received the same email from 3 sources. Strange thing is, somebody had downloaded the pics from football365.com and then emailed them around in a Word doc..
Some links
Football365.com: "FOOTBALL LOOKALIKES"
Football look-alikes: Some the "original ones" from a couple of years ago...
Same old jibes, same fake statistics
I was discussing Simon Hoggart's political sketch columns with Ciaran & Ray recently... this is a good example of his work. I find his stuff amusing and well informed. This sort of coverage helps to provide perspective and make sense of our stupid political system and the strange people we elect/end-up-with. If you read these columns regularly (usually 3 or 4 a week when parliament is sitting) a nice picture emerges of the various ventral characters, you feel reasonably well informed, and don't have to plow through all the serious politcal coverage.
I was discussing Simon Hoggart's political sketch columns with Ciaran & Ray recently... this is a good example of his work. I find his stuff amusing and well informed. This sort of coverage helps to provide perspective and make sense of our stupid political system and the strange people we elect/end-up-with. If you read these columns regularly (usually 3 or 4 a week when parliament is sitting) a nice picture emerges of the various ventral characters, you feel reasonably well informed, and don't have to plow through all the serious politcal coverage.
How To Make It Big in the New Music Biz - A Step by Step Guide
Looks like an interesting read for those in the music biz... free download of the first chapter available.
Looks like an interesting read for those in the music biz... free download of the first chapter available.
Tuesday, November 11, 2003
Berklee Shares: free music lessons, mp3, quicktime and pdf files download: "free music lessons that you can download, share and trade with your friends and fellow musicians."
Orwell Today: "Comparing the world George Orwell described in '1984' with the world we are living in today,"
Monday, November 10, 2003
Italy & Europe.
Very Funny. Italian short movie (shockwave, quite large, worth the wait) comparing and contrasting Italy with "Europe" (although in many cases I think you could substitute London for Italy)
Very Funny. Italian short movie (shockwave, quite large, worth the wait) comparing and contrasting Italy with "Europe" (although in many cases I think you could substitute London for Italy)
Thursday, November 06, 2003
Monday, November 03, 2003
Bluejacking?
I noticed this new trend recently...
I noticed this new trend recently...
"using a phone with Bluetooth, you can create a phonebook contact and write a message, eg. 'Hello, you've been bluejacked', in the 'Name' field. Then you can search for other phones with Bluetooth and send that phonebook contact to them. On their phone, a message will popup saying ''Hello, you've been bluejacked' has just been received by Bluetooth' or something along those lines. For most 'victims' they will have no idea as to how the message appeared on their phone. So, personalised messages like 'I like your pink top' and the startled expressions that result is where the fun really starts."UPDATE: Covered by The Reg today too: Bluetooth boom spawns 'bluejacking'
Thursday, October 30, 2003
"Trailor Trash" Fashion update.... [see See earlier item]
You thought we were serious?"Maybe I'm a superficial kinda person but when I see someone on Shoreditch High Street wearing a 'Happy Bill's Garage' T-shirt, I do not think, 'My, isn't it awful how eastenders mock the poverty of Alabama', but rather, 'People in Hoxton dress really weird.' Like I said, this may be a reflection of my own shortcomings, but I suspect it is closer to the reaction the wearer intends."
Ooh aah . . . the day Eric went too far The real story of that Eric Cantona quote...?
In the second set of exclusive extracts from his autobiography the SAS veteran ( Michael 'Ned' Kelly), who spent ten years as Manchester United chief of security reveals the truth..."
Also covered by the BBC here.
Wednesday, October 29, 2003
Scam o Rama: "HARRY POTTER AND THE CAULDRON OF SCAMS
"I couldn't quite believe how long this 419er to catch the Harry Potter theme on. I wanted to see just how hard I could yank."
The Big Smoke Debate
Do the survey - express your views (suggested by PaulF)..:
Do the survey - express your views (suggested by PaulF)..:
"The chance to have your say about passive smoking.
The London Health Commission is running the Big Smoke Debate to find out your views on smoking in enclosed public places: cafes, shopping centres, taxis, offices, restaurants, pubs, bars and railway stations."
Tuesday, October 28, 2003
magician being mauled by tiger - totally genuine !
My colleague Dan passed this one along.. I can only echo his words of caution...
My colleague Dan passed this one along.. I can only echo his words of caution...
"A bit rough this one, it's genuine footage of that magician being mauled by a tiger. You actually see the tiger creep up and attack the poor bloke. It's a bit shocking and not for the faint hearted, so dont say you haven't been warned."
Album Cover Challenge
One for the muso's...
One for the muso's...
"The challenge is this: there are sixty album covers - some better known than others, but none willfully obscure - from which the artist and title information has been removed. Can you identify all the albums and provide the missing information?"
Sunday, October 26, 2003
Darkening of a nation: Nick Cohen from today's Observer - frightening and insightful comment.
"Basic civil liberties are in dire jeopardy when anti-terrorist laws are used for day-to-day policing "
The Great Library of Amazonia
This was covered in a number of places, however this Wired article is a very nice (quite long) story on just what is happening in the world of digitising the contents of books.
This was covered in a number of places, however this Wired article is a very nice (quite long) story on just what is happening in the world of digitising the contents of books.
So hip it hurts
I read this in Thursday's Guardian... about "trailor trash chic" in Shoreditch... my company's HQ is in shoreditch so I'm a regular visitor to the area, and whilst I certainly have noticed a high "piercing quotient" ... I've yet to see evidence of this trend. The article seems to be taking things just a little too seriously though...
I read this in Thursday's Guardian... about "trailor trash chic" in Shoreditch... my company's HQ is in shoreditch so I'm a regular visitor to the area, and whilst I certainly have noticed a high "piercing quotient" ... I've yet to see evidence of this trend. The article seems to be taking things just a little too seriously though...
"The poverty of America's deep south - where I grew up - is now imitated by Britain's trendiest. How sick is that?
It can be somewhat disconcerting to walk down my high street. Men stroll past wearing US-style gas station attendant shirts with round patches that say Ed, or Bubba. Or some have T-shirts that say 'I Love Daytona Beach' or 'Eat at Jimbo's BBQ'. These guys all seem to have baseball caps on, too, usually advertising something like a fishing tackle shop on the front, with camouflage around the side. And the hats, more often than not, sit on top of mullets that look straight out of 1979.
But it's not just the men. Women totter by on 1980s, brightly coloured high heels, and I hear the clank of chunky, cheap plastic bracelets. It's not unlike finding yourself as an extra for a film set on a trailer park in the US. Except that I'm not in Redneckville, Georgia - I'm in London's trendy Shoreditch."
Tuesday, October 21, 2003
The flight to India
Interesting comment piece from George Monbiot in today's Guardian about outsourcing of service jobs from Britain to India.
I like his angle "The jobs Britain stole from the Asian subcontinent 200 years ago are now being returned" however, where he suggests "There is a profound historical irony here", I think rather than an irony, this is a simple Karmic reaction. There's also some good liberal angst about the both positive and negative effects of such changes in the balance of wealth.... where will it all end.
On a related note, here's an interesting idea: Britain should outsource politicians' jobs to India
Interesting comment piece from George Monbiot in today's Guardian about outsourcing of service jobs from Britain to India.
I like his angle "The jobs Britain stole from the Asian subcontinent 200 years ago are now being returned" however, where he suggests "There is a profound historical irony here", I think rather than an irony, this is a simple Karmic reaction. There's also some good liberal angst about the both positive and negative effects of such changes in the balance of wealth.... where will it all end.
On a related note, here's an interesting idea: Britain should outsource politicians' jobs to India
"MPs in India are paid significantly less than their UK equivalents and have lower expense claims."
Monday, October 20, 2003
'unswoosher' - anti-logo Black Spot sneaker
Interesting anti-nike suggestion from the Adbusters - site worth a browse too.
Interesting anti-nike suggestion from the Adbusters - site worth a browse too.
"Adbusters has been doing R&D for more than a year, and guess what? Making a shoe - a good shoe - isn't exactly rocket science. With a network of supporters, we're getting ready to launch the blackSpot sneaker, the world's first grassroots anti-brand. You can help launch the blackSpot revolution."
Friday, October 17, 2003
EFF: MP3 Caper: Nice Flash Animation/Movie from the EFF, as part of their commentary and campaign regarding P2P and music downloading.
"If artists get paid when we share files, then artists win, we win, and yes -- even the RIAA wins."
Thursday, October 16, 2003
The Amazing Baconizer
It seems they trawl the Amazon recommendation engine for links between items - Give it a try...
It seems they trawl the Amazon recommendation engine for links between items - Give it a try...
"Describe two items and see how they're linked by consumer preference via intermediate items. Choose from books, CDs, or films, and you can mix and match."
Wednesday, October 15, 2003
Spammers struggle with words - intersting insight into the current arms-race between the spammers (bad-guys!) and anti-spam software/tools (good-guys!).
Saturday, October 11, 2003
This is worth a read, somebody who should be given money and told to "make it so" !
TV's Tipping Point: Why The Digital Revolution Is Only Just Beginning
"Text of the speech by Ashley Highfield, Director of BBC New Media & Technology, at the Royal Television Society on Oct 6"
TV's Tipping Point: Why The Digital Revolution Is Only Just Beginning
"Text of the speech by Ashley Highfield, Director of BBC New Media & Technology, at the Royal Television Society on Oct 6"
Suing Your Customers: A Winning Business Strategy? Sane comment from Wharton University on the state of play of Music/Downloading. Very interesting comparrison with US automotive industry from 100 years ago.
Tuesday, October 07, 2003
Tube Map with Walklines:
"For some journeys it's really not worth getting on the tube: it takes a long time, and costs you money. Sometimes it's quicker and easier to walk.
Thursday, October 02, 2003
A a whole bunch of links I collected before and after our holiday's in France at the end of September.
Funnies:
Websuff:
David Byrne: Some recent coverage of DB & Talking Heads:
Funnies:
SkyHigh
AirlinesStriving for mediocrity !
cheap_ipod.jpgCut out and keep
Beard and Moustache Categories: World Beard Championships
Hoom! Maps and Walking Directions Multi-Map for Middle-Earth
IT Horoscopes - September 2003
The Best of British. British American Dictionary.
Websuff:
Picture of Our Galaxy (get things in perspective)
Silent sounds hit emotional chords This reminds me of some comments a guy made during a (ahem) focus group session during the efforts to startup WNC. His point was about the impact of sound waves so low as to be inaudible to us, yet still able
to have an effect on us. If "lossy" codecs such as mp3 only contain sounds considerd to be audible to the human ear, how does this affect our perception of music ?
Panderers in Japan:
"Japander:n.,& v.t. 1. a western star who uses his or her fame to make large sums of money in a short time by advertising products in Japan that they would probably never use. ~er (see synecure, prostitute) 2. to make an ass of oneself in Japanese media."
Wired News: Swollen Orders Show Spam's Allure- so these are the people who respond to spam !?!
RED HERRING | The Business of Technology - makes a return - is it boom time again ?
David Byrne: Some recent coverage of DB & Talking Heads:
Byrne has a new soundtrack CD out for
the film "Young Adam", and there is a new Talking Heads retrospective Box set due for release.
The Observer Magazine: "This much I know David Byrne, musician, 51, New York"
TH Fan site news item
rollingstone.com TH Box coverage
Amazon Listing for TH Box
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