At last the build up to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows begins.
The book has been split into two movies, something which might be a good idea as there is an awful lot to explain and some mistakes were made in the last film (Half Blood Prince) with too many cuts and changes to the original plot.
Based on this trailer do you think the films will be entertaining and worth going to see?
Monday, 7 June 2010
Thursday, 4 March 2010
CamStudio Screen Recorder Free - Review
This is a useful one to know about. Much as I love Camtasia, because it's a brilliant suite of screen recording software, I don't have a licence for it.
I've been debugging this morning, tracking down errors in software, which can be a real nightmare as you have to reproduce the conditions reliably. Screen capture software is great for this as you can record the mouse clicks as they happen.
There are many uses for this type of program and I found CamStudio really simple to use and I'll be using it lots more in the future. Well worth a try as it's a small program and very quick to put to use.
Friday, 26 February 2010
Teasing out Software Requirements
One of the hardest things to do in software development is to cover all your requirements and ensure that when you actually start coding there will be a simple transfer of ideas to implementation.
There are many situations where you can be led into a lot of work by a simple question so it is always important, so I have learned through some bitter experience, to make sure the parameters are clear. any open ended question is a potential trap and not always a request for work to be done immediately.
As an exercise I have created the mind map below to try and understand what is involved in the process. Clearly a different emphasis will be placed on the areas in the map which depend on your particular project/task. It's also possible that I've missed things - though the joy of a mind map is that you can add them later!
These days I try to be flexible when listening and use all my investigative skills but when the client(s) have signed off then the flexibility has to be replaced by pragmatism. Good Communication is the key and the earlier this is established the better.
Your thoughts please...
There are many situations where you can be led into a lot of work by a simple question so it is always important, so I have learned through some bitter experience, to make sure the parameters are clear. any open ended question is a potential trap and not always a request for work to be done immediately.
As an exercise I have created the mind map below to try and understand what is involved in the process. Clearly a different emphasis will be placed on the areas in the map which depend on your particular project/task. It's also possible that I've missed things - though the joy of a mind map is that you can add them later!
These days I try to be flexible when listening and use all my investigative skills but when the client(s) have signed off then the flexibility has to be replaced by pragmatism. Good Communication is the key and the earlier this is established the better.
Your thoughts please...
Web developer tools I use every day
In my work as a PHP/Javascript developer there are a few software tools I use every day to assist in productivity and implementing effective code. The majority of the tools here are Open Source and many are available for Windows users as well.
Operating System
For most of my work I'm using a computer running Ubuntu which is a popular and stable version of Linux. There are plenty of other flavours but I like this one as it is easy to manage. There is a huge range of software in the repository (catalogue) to customise your installation. And as it's Open Source you don't have to pay any licence fees, though I'd encourage you to contribute something.
Integrated Development Environment - IDE
The IDE is the core of the developer's toolbox and will have different features/plugins depending on the programming language or languages you work in. This is where you do most of your programming so you'll find most IDE's to be very customizable.
I use Netbeans which provides a very good range of tools such as debuggers, code completion, repository integration, plugins for different development tasks (eg. Firefox extensions) and much more. I have also used Eclipse in the past and this is also a very good IDE.
UI Design
This is so often done with scraps of paper or Excel spreadsheets, Powerpoint or Photoshop if you are a designer.
I now use Balsamiq Mockups [review] as it provides a very simple to use interface with a hand drawn style to the images. The files can be shared or the exported images used in presentations.
Managing Ideas
Nothing beats a day book for jotting things down as you research an issue but if I need an electronic record then I'll use Freemind. This is a brilliant piece of software which allows you to jot down ideas quickly and simply. Mind Mapping tools like Freemind are really handy when making sense of requirements or when problem solving.
Documentation
We use a Mediawiki installation on the LAN for most documentation. For shared items such as task lists we have been using Google Docs for the past couple of years. This works very well as the task list is in spreadsheet form.
Debugging
For Javascript the obvious one is Firebug on Firefox and I believe there is now a 'lite' version for Internet explorer. Venkmann is also another established debugging tool for Javascript.
For PHP debugging work I use xDebug which is a PHP Module and can also be linked to KCachegrind to provide awesome, graphing of the code activity.
File Management
I can't do anything without FileZilla which is a brilliant Open Source FTP client from Mozilla. Invaluable for uploading and downloading files from the webservers I manage.
That covers the main day to day tools I use and I discover new ones occasionally which I'll share when I find them.
Everybody has their own favourites and teams often tend to share a set of tools. What are your favourites?
Operating System
For most of my work I'm using a computer running Ubuntu which is a popular and stable version of Linux. There are plenty of other flavours but I like this one as it is easy to manage. There is a huge range of software in the repository (catalogue) to customise your installation. And as it's Open Source you don't have to pay any licence fees, though I'd encourage you to contribute something.
Integrated Development Environment - IDE
The IDE is the core of the developer's toolbox and will have different features/plugins depending on the programming language or languages you work in. This is where you do most of your programming so you'll find most IDE's to be very customizable.
I use Netbeans which provides a very good range of tools such as debuggers, code completion, repository integration, plugins for different development tasks (eg. Firefox extensions) and much more. I have also used Eclipse in the past and this is also a very good IDE.
UI Design
This is so often done with scraps of paper or Excel spreadsheets, Powerpoint or Photoshop if you are a designer.
I now use Balsamiq Mockups [review] as it provides a very simple to use interface with a hand drawn style to the images. The files can be shared or the exported images used in presentations.
Managing Ideas
Nothing beats a day book for jotting things down as you research an issue but if I need an electronic record then I'll use Freemind. This is a brilliant piece of software which allows you to jot down ideas quickly and simply. Mind Mapping tools like Freemind are really handy when making sense of requirements or when problem solving.
Documentation
We use a Mediawiki installation on the LAN for most documentation. For shared items such as task lists we have been using Google Docs for the past couple of years. This works very well as the task list is in spreadsheet form.
Debugging
For Javascript the obvious one is Firebug on Firefox and I believe there is now a 'lite' version for Internet explorer. Venkmann is also another established debugging tool for Javascript.
For PHP debugging work I use xDebug which is a PHP Module and can also be linked to KCachegrind to provide awesome, graphing of the code activity.
File Management
I can't do anything without FileZilla which is a brilliant Open Source FTP client from Mozilla. Invaluable for uploading and downloading files from the webservers I manage.
That covers the main day to day tools I use and I discover new ones occasionally which I'll share when I find them.
Everybody has their own favourites and teams often tend to share a set of tools. What are your favourites?
Thursday, 25 February 2010
How does your website sound?
I've been having some fun with CodeOrgan today as I listen to the different sounds of some of my favourite websites.
It's a really clever piece of software that uses a Flash program to encode contents of the webpage you give it into a polyphonic, if you're lucky, rhythmic tune.
It's a really clever piece of software that uses a Flash program to encode contents of the webpage you give it into a polyphonic, if you're lucky, rhythmic tune.
- Google sounds really punchy.
- Yahoo! sounds very stringy and has a bit of backbeat going on.
- Microsoft seems to play a very short jingle. Maybe it's their 404 page :)
See what you can find and leave your comments here.
Alice in Wonderland is Here - 25th Feb 2010
The film is Directed by Tim Burton. With Johnny Depp, Mia Wasikowska, Helena Bonham Carter.
Alice returns to wonderland in this adventure and encounters many more strange things on her journey and is told she is the only one who can slay the Jabberwock.
The premiere is today and the film goes on general release on March 5th.
Monday, 22 February 2010
Review of Selenium IDE - web developer power tool
Until today that is when I needed something to remember the data I have been entering to test the data management site I've been working on. As it is a tedious manual process Selenium has been invaluable in ensuring I get the right combination of data to reproduce any errors.
What's more it is simple to repeat the test or generate new ones. Even better still is the ability to generate Unit Tests based on the data you enter into the form. This is on serious piece of kit for the serious developer. The recorded key presses can be edited, annotated and saved so adding them to bug reports is a cinch!
I'm not going to forget Selenium again. I'm going to learn more about it and use it as much as possible.
Review of drop.io
Just discovered drop.io which looks like such a great resource for building your own presentations or putting together research from a range of webpages.
You literally grab images/videos/mp3s from webpages to mashup into your own page. Looks very cool. I guess the uses are down to how imaginative and creative you are.
I discovered it while looking at Google Chrome extensions and there is an extension for Firefox too.
Looks well worth investigating and you get 100mb of storage to start you off.
Saturday, 20 February 2010
Why did the BBC bury Heroes Series 4?
I've been a big Heroes fan since the very beginning and have enjoyed all of it. Series three was rather long at twenty-five episodes but this was caused by the writers' strike in the States. Nevertheless it was great fun and full of adventure and cool characters and their abilities.
Series 4 was high on my list to see. Naturally, and somewhat naively it turns out, I was expecting it to reappear at the usual 9pm slot on Wednesday evening. Of course the fanfare of publicity would have alerted me to this.
But no. Nothing. The BBC in their wisdom quietly shelved it on a Saturday evening at 10pm. What's worse I didn't see a single bit of publicity about it. I had plenty of chances to.
Oh yes.. I could catch up on iPlayer. Oh, no. I'd missed the first three or four episodes so they had expired already.
Grrr.
Not good. It's a brilliant series and whoever took the decision to move needs to be sat on until they make better decisions in future. I'm really annoyed and I'd like to think I'm not alone.
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief
Percy Jackson is an extraordinary New York kid, he just doesn't know it. He is dyslexic and has ADHD... as it turns out there are very good reasons for this. Why does he discover that reading Ancient Greek is easier than reading english? What will he do about his boundless energy?
Lightning Thief is a fantastic romp through the Olympiad and we encounter gods and demi-gods alike. Obviously if you know the books the plot will be no surprise but it's hard to avoid a film spoiler here.
The film stars Logan Lerman as Percy, Uma Thurman, ex James Pond Pierce Brosnan, Sean Bean and Steve Coogan. This movie is directed by Chris Columbus who is well known for his work on the Harry Potter films.
Go and see the film, enjoy the effects and join Percy as he discovers just who he is and how powerful he is.
Get the Percy Jackson Collection
Friday, 19 February 2010
JK Rowling in Court - Plagiarism Accusation Again!
Have you ever heard of Willy the Wizard? No, good, it means I'm not alone!
Apparently someone thinks that ideas in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire were stolen from the books by British author the late Adrian Jacobs. Even if the lawsuit fails the attack on JK Rowling's reputation will undoubtedly generate sales for the unknown Willy's books. Possibly lucrative.
Am I being cynical or has someone got an ulterior motive here?
USA Today Story
Not surprisingly the story has been picked up by the UK papers today. Apparently the reasons for the court action are that the idea of wizards travelling on a train was stolen from Willy. Also the idea of Harry's inspiration for the answer to the egg task on Goblet of Fire is allegedly stolen as well because both he and Willy found answers in the bathroom.
I'd love to know what Adrian Jacobs would have made of all this. We'll never know because he died a few years ago.
Apparently someone thinks that ideas in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire were stolen from the books by British author the late Adrian Jacobs. Even if the lawsuit fails the attack on JK Rowling's reputation will undoubtedly generate sales for the unknown Willy's books. Possibly lucrative.
Am I being cynical or has someone got an ulterior motive here?
USA Today Story
Not surprisingly the story has been picked up by the UK papers today. Apparently the reasons for the court action are that the idea of wizards travelling on a train was stolen from Willy. Also the idea of Harry's inspiration for the answer to the egg task on Goblet of Fire is allegedly stolen as well because both he and Willy found answers in the bathroom.
I'd love to know what Adrian Jacobs would have made of all this. We'll never know because he died a few years ago.
Newspapers fear BBC iPhone Apps
There is an item on the BBC website today about how the newspaper industry through the National Press Association (NPA) is calling for a blocking of the BBC's ability to get their apps out there.
Allowing for the fact that the BBC is a public service broadcaster with loads of cash I think he answer is pretty clear.
Instead of complaining about this the newspaper industry need to get its finger out and start producing their own innovative apps for the iPhone. As it is they are just making news out of nothing by complaining.
There are loads of keen App developers out there and Apple has cultivated a huge software industry around its products. If the newspaper managers and the NPA had any sense they would get themselves a team of users and developers to brainstorm some ideas and get some zippy Apps out there really quickly.
I suspect the Guardian will the the most innovative of the lot because they have a forward thinking management and a very switched on approach to the web.
As for the others they may well take too long to get into the game because they aren't listening to their kids. Most execs on the newspapers will already have been told what to do by their teenage iPhone addict kids. I'll bet they haven't listened.
Stop carping and get producing is the message to the papers. After all, why shouldn't the BBC contribute to the wealth of Apps already out there?
Click here to ReTweet this article or email the link to your mates with the envelope symbol below.
Thursday, 18 February 2010
Review of Doxygen - code visualiser
I've been playing around with the idea of getting some visual idea of the structure of the PHP code I'm working with.
Just spent about 40mins getting set up and ran it against a block of the code in the project I'm debugging. The results are quire impressive I have to say and I'm now able to browse the newly documented structure in a logical way.
Well worth a try. Works with many different computer languages and does a lot more besides.
Instructables: $2 Sketch Portrait Maker
I love instructables.com I think the ingenuity, knowledge and skills displayed on the site are amazing.
The simple project to build a cheap and simple device for projecting an image onto a sheet of paper is brilliant in its simplicity. I'll be doing this one with the kids at the weekend so the can learn about light transmission and lenses.
The Camera Obscura is the grown up version of this and they were very popular in Victorian times for viewing the scenery around grand buildings.
Have a go. I'll report back when we've made ours.
Improved Netbeans PHP Unit Support
Just been reading the NetBeans Blog finding out about the improved support for PHPUnit Tests.
This is really cool because creating unit tests can be so dull. I can't say all of the routine stuff has been taken out of the loop but you can now auto-generate the stub code for all your unit tests in one go. This makes life a lot easier as you can then build the tests as and when you need them.
Nevertheless, even small projects can generate a lot of test code so it's probably worth considering if you have a project you need to bring into line. Set up the stubs, write the tests and get the test harness into use.
Looks good. I hope we'll make some use of it at work.
This is really cool because creating unit tests can be so dull. I can't say all of the routine stuff has been taken out of the loop but you can now auto-generate the stub code for all your unit tests in one go. This makes life a lot easier as you can then build the tests as and when you need them.
Nevertheless, even small projects can generate a lot of test code so it's probably worth considering if you have a project you need to bring into line. Set up the stubs, write the tests and get the test harness into use.
Looks good. I hope we'll make some use of it at work.
OhNoRobot the comic search engine.
I just found this link to the online comic search engine ohnorobot.com it's brilliant.
Just type in cats for example and you get a list of cartoons featuring them. I'll be spending more time on there finding some more cool stuff.
Just type in cats for example and you get a list of cartoons featuring them. I'll be spending more time on there finding some more cool stuff.
Tuesday, 16 February 2010
Why women are like Meerkats...
...and how knowing this might help find a mate.
Observation
Ever had that feeling walking down the street where you can never make eye contact with any of the women. There you are absorbed in your own thoughts or following the directions of the GPS App on your iPhone and feeling lonely and dejected.
You won't have noticed, yet, that women tend to look further ahead than most men. They scan the horizon, like meerkats do, to see what is coming towards them. The upshot of this is that you will have already been spotted, and then discounted, by the majority of the women walking towards you.
The simplest way to start to fix this is to look further ahead. Many men do this naturally which might explain some of their success with women. Instead of looking within the usual radius of 5-10 metres try walking with your head erect and scanning 20 to 30m ahead instead.
It takes practice but you'll know it is paying off when you are able to make eye contact and get a smile in at about twice your normal viewing distance. Try it.
Communication
Women, and meerkats, are excellent communicators. Any threat or insult, for example, is quickly passed amongst a group of friends/colleagues.
This means of course that predatory behaviour will not always pay off (though even the buzzards get a meerkat sometimes).
As it is relationships we're talking about then predatory behaviour in the dating game is likely to fail. Better to stick with being yourself, if you don't then you may well wipe out an entire group of potential girlfriends. Women are generally far better communicators emotionally than men and are extremely supportive of each other. Although men are hard wired differently it is still a good lesson to develop your sensitivities.
Observation
Ever had that feeling walking down the street where you can never make eye contact with any of the women. There you are absorbed in your own thoughts or following the directions of the GPS App on your iPhone and feeling lonely and dejected.
You won't have noticed, yet, that women tend to look further ahead than most men. They scan the horizon, like meerkats do, to see what is coming towards them. The upshot of this is that you will have already been spotted, and then discounted, by the majority of the women walking towards you.
The simplest way to start to fix this is to look further ahead. Many men do this naturally which might explain some of their success with women. Instead of looking within the usual radius of 5-10 metres try walking with your head erect and scanning 20 to 30m ahead instead.
It takes practice but you'll know it is paying off when you are able to make eye contact and get a smile in at about twice your normal viewing distance. Try it.
Communication
Women, and meerkats, are excellent communicators. Any threat or insult, for example, is quickly passed amongst a group of friends/colleagues.
This means of course that predatory behaviour will not always pay off (though even the buzzards get a meerkat sometimes).
As it is relationships we're talking about then predatory behaviour in the dating game is likely to fail. Better to stick with being yourself, if you don't then you may well wipe out an entire group of potential girlfriends. Women are generally far better communicators emotionally than men and are extremely supportive of each other. Although men are hard wired differently it is still a good lesson to develop your sensitivities.
Apples iPad misses the boat
There is a very interesting Techcrunch Article about the next generation of human-computer interfaces. The chances are you'll already be familiar with them if you have seen Matrix Reloaded, Minority Report or Avatar. There are a few commercials that have copied the idea too.
In all these films we see characters interacting with computers using clear touch screens with the information projected/displayed on them. Actions are carried out using gestures of the hands.
Microsoft's Surface product sort of moved into this area except they managed to build something the size of a billiard table instead of producing something truly revolutionary. Apple of course will be selling the iPad as the future of computing but we all know it isn't really. It's just a handy device that'll be trashed the first time you drop/sit on it.
Maybe in another 5-7 years we'll see something commercial from Oblong as they are currently developing this technology. Naturally the military get first dibs because they have invested heavily in this tech.
In all these films we see characters interacting with computers using clear touch screens with the information projected/displayed on them. Actions are carried out using gestures of the hands.
Microsoft's Surface product sort of moved into this area except they managed to build something the size of a billiard table instead of producing something truly revolutionary. Apple of course will be selling the iPad as the future of computing but we all know it isn't really. It's just a handy device that'll be trashed the first time you drop/sit on it.
Maybe in another 5-7 years we'll see something commercial from Oblong as they are currently developing this technology. Naturally the military get first dibs because they have invested heavily in this tech.
Monday, 15 February 2010
War of the Worlds movie starring Tom Cruise
War of the Worlds is a horrific tale of Earth's invasion by nasty blood sucking aliens from Mars. HG Wells published the story in 1898 and it has a strong dose of the Gothic horror the Victorians were so fond of.
Steven Spielberg directed this movie and successfully retained the darkness of the novel. As with most Spielberg films there are children and in this case we have Dakota Fanning as Rachel the 10 year old daughter of Ray Ferrier (Tom Cruise). Ferrier also has a teenage son, Robbie, played by Justin Chatwin who helps us understand that the family is estranged by his opposition to his father.
This is a buddy movie in that the main characters are forced to make a journey together and have to get along together. Of course they fail miserably at getting along together so we have their puny human struggles in the context of the gigantic alien vampyric killing machines.
The effects are very good and Steven Spielberg's obsession with light comes to the fore once again. There is a certain special type of horror that follows the flickering lights and like all good horror the storytellers are quite unsympathetic towards the characters.
There is, however, a Spielberg happy ending as the family are reunited against all odds. An enjoyable if bleak and depressing film.
Steven Spielberg directed this movie and successfully retained the darkness of the novel. As with most Spielberg films there are children and in this case we have Dakota Fanning as Rachel the 10 year old daughter of Ray Ferrier (Tom Cruise). Ferrier also has a teenage son, Robbie, played by Justin Chatwin who helps us understand that the family is estranged by his opposition to his father.
This is a buddy movie in that the main characters are forced to make a journey together and have to get along together. Of course they fail miserably at getting along together so we have their puny human struggles in the context of the gigantic alien vampyric killing machines.
The effects are very good and Steven Spielberg's obsession with light comes to the fore once again. There is a certain special type of horror that follows the flickering lights and like all good horror the storytellers are quite unsympathetic towards the characters.
There is, however, a Spielberg happy ending as the family are reunited against all odds. An enjoyable if bleak and depressing film.
Astroboy review - animated movie
Astroboy was created way back in 1952 by Osamu Tezuka as a cartoon which was then turned into an animated series. It was the forerunner of the Shonen Manga Anime style.
The Plot
Astroboy is a robot created by a grieving Dr Tenma to replace his dead son. Due to Dr Tenma's skill the robot is conscious and comes to learn of his power and his destiny.
The Film
This is a really enjoyable film but it is more grown up than you might first think from the trailers.
The film starts with a cartoon style introduction, narrated by Charlize Theron, to the world on which the characters live, a futuristic mess of an Earth. The style is immediately reminiscent of some of the animation in the Matrix offshoot The Animatrix.
There is a lot of agonising over motivations for doing certain things. The relationship between Dr Tenma (Nicholas Cage) and his real son is rather bleak as the Dr is so firmly tied to his work. Dr Tenma's colleague Dr Elefun (voiced by Bill Nighy) seems to be more sympathetic to the boy/robot's plight.
The boy's death is never properly explained, he is just replaced, and so this was something I had to explain to my sons. I wasn't the only one as I heard other parents in the cinema explaining it too. As a result it was quite hard for the younger members of the audience to grasp the transformation of the boy to robot.
There are more resurrections in this film than in The Last Temptation of Christ but you can take those liberties with a robot drama. When we get to the action it concerns an awful lot of fighting of robots of one size or another and the scenes are handled pretty well. The film ends with an immediate lead in to another story about battling aliens, only a glimpse though but a hint that the producers might like to get a series going.
Summary
An enjoyable film with a few flaws but if you are taking your kids there's quite a bit of scary stuff and some unanswered questions. I took my 5 year old and 10 year old and the film could have been shortened by about 20mins as far as they were concerned.
The Plot
Astroboy is a robot created by a grieving Dr Tenma to replace his dead son. Due to Dr Tenma's skill the robot is conscious and comes to learn of his power and his destiny.
The Film
This is a really enjoyable film but it is more grown up than you might first think from the trailers.
The film starts with a cartoon style introduction, narrated by Charlize Theron, to the world on which the characters live, a futuristic mess of an Earth. The style is immediately reminiscent of some of the animation in the Matrix offshoot The Animatrix.
There is a lot of agonising over motivations for doing certain things. The relationship between Dr Tenma (Nicholas Cage) and his real son is rather bleak as the Dr is so firmly tied to his work. Dr Tenma's colleague Dr Elefun (voiced by Bill Nighy) seems to be more sympathetic to the boy/robot's plight.
The boy's death is never properly explained, he is just replaced, and so this was something I had to explain to my sons. I wasn't the only one as I heard other parents in the cinema explaining it too. As a result it was quite hard for the younger members of the audience to grasp the transformation of the boy to robot.
There are more resurrections in this film than in The Last Temptation of Christ but you can take those liberties with a robot drama. When we get to the action it concerns an awful lot of fighting of robots of one size or another and the scenes are handled pretty well. The film ends with an immediate lead in to another story about battling aliens, only a glimpse though but a hint that the producers might like to get a series going.
Summary
An enjoyable film with a few flaws but if you are taking your kids there's quite a bit of scary stuff and some unanswered questions. I took my 5 year old and 10 year old and the film could have been shortened by about 20mins as far as they were concerned.
Friday, 12 February 2010
Review of MindMeister online mind mapping software
Here is a great tool I discovered while working on a project earlier.
I'm a great fan of FreeMind mind mapping software. This is a Java based Open Source project which is packed with functions for helping visualise your ideas.
One issue with FreeMind though is that it is difficult to use collaboratively so a little digging aound brought me to MindMeister. There are a couple of tools here but I was interested in the online Mind Mapping. It was a cinch.
Having signed up for my free, ad supported, account I was then able to import my FreeMind map and begin working on it immediately. The interface is easy to use and the keys are pretty much the same as FreeMind. Sharing the mind map with a mate was as easy as typing his email address into the collaborators/viewers form and clicking OK.
You can export the mind maps you create in a variety of formats including FreeMind, PDF and others. This is very useful as you can issue the right kind of document for your needs.
MindMeister has a few rough edges and as is often the case with web applications it has a tendency to be slow(ish) to update changes.
All in all though I was very impressed and recommend it. More advanced users can sign up for the Pro account which has unlimited maps and more features.
I'm a great fan of FreeMind mind mapping software. This is a Java based Open Source project which is packed with functions for helping visualise your ideas.
One issue with FreeMind though is that it is difficult to use collaboratively so a little digging aound brought me to MindMeister. There are a couple of tools here but I was interested in the online Mind Mapping. It was a cinch.
Having signed up for my free, ad supported, account I was then able to import my FreeMind map and begin working on it immediately. The interface is easy to use and the keys are pretty much the same as FreeMind. Sharing the mind map with a mate was as easy as typing his email address into the collaborators/viewers form and clicking OK.
You can export the mind maps you create in a variety of formats including FreeMind, PDF and others. This is very useful as you can issue the right kind of document for your needs.
MindMeister has a few rough edges and as is often the case with web applications it has a tendency to be slow(ish) to update changes.
All in all though I was very impressed and recommend it. More advanced users can sign up for the Pro account which has unlimited maps and more features.
Thursday, 11 February 2010
Paperchase plagiarism furore on Twitter
Artist Hidden Eloise has recently had her work plagiarised by PaperChase which is a massive corporation with shops in most towns. It has a global distribution network and clearly no ideas of its own anymore.
Hidden Eloise writes on her blog entry Cannot Chase Paperchase about how she discovered the use of her art on Paperchase products and her attempts to assert herself against the company. Products featuring Hidden Eloise's work also appear on Amazon.com.
All to no avail so far and it looks like people power in the form of Twitter is coming to the rescue.
Suggestions so far have included:
Follow the story on Twitter with Trendsmap
Follow Hidden Eloise on Twitter
It turns out Paperchase were owned by Borders bookshops so it looks like things just got worse.
Update: @PerriLewis managed to speak to Paperchase who said they bought the design from an agency. Which agency? We need to know!!
Update II: Feb 11th 2010 20:11
Hidden Eloise has responded to a statement by Paperchase in her blog
Hidden Eloise writes on her blog entry Cannot Chase Paperchase about how she discovered the use of her art on Paperchase products and her attempts to assert herself against the company. Products featuring Hidden Eloise's work also appear on Amazon.com.
All to no avail so far and it looks like people power in the form of Twitter is coming to the rescue.
Suggestions so far have included:
- boycotting the company
- emailing them to protest
- selling shares in the company (the shareholders and board will hate that)
- getting the story on the national news (come on CNN/BBC etc)
- setting up a website called 'paperdisgace'
Follow the story on Twitter with Trendsmap
Follow Hidden Eloise on Twitter
It turns out Paperchase were owned by Borders bookshops so it looks like things just got worse.
Update: @PerriLewis managed to speak to Paperchase who said they bought the design from an agency. Which agency? We need to know!!
Update II: Feb 11th 2010 20:11
Hidden Eloise has responded to a statement by Paperchase in her blog
Tuesday, 9 February 2010
Favourite iPhone apps at my office
So many people have iPhones at my office that I've done a brief survey of the favourites.
What are your favourites?
- VoucherCloud - informs you of vouchers and freebies.
- Shazam - identifies music tracks that you are listening to. Just point your iPhone at the music source and Shazam will identify it for you.
- TweetDeck - keep up to date with Twitter. There is also EchoFon which is great too.
- Dropbox - transfer and share files between your computers and with friends.
- Tiger Woods PGA Tour - by EA. Loved by those who are missing the fairways and need to chill out while practising their swing.
- Ambiance - mix your own ambient tracks to help you chill, go to sleep. May be handy for soothing the baby.
- Things - this is a task manager. A couple of the sales reps use it to help them be where they need to be on time.
- London Tube - handy for any overseas visitors who need to get around London.
What are your favourites?
Safer Internet Day - 9th Feb 2010
So Safer Internet Day happens today. It's nearly 2.30pm in the UK and this is the first I've heard of it.
It's a good idea but there are a few flaws. The kind of thing that make you think how much better you would have done it yourself.
Poor publicity - haven't they heard of viral campaigns?
I think they have just done a press release to the newspapers and thought it would be enough. Nope.
Ill informed about internet usage.
CEOP is promoting a modified Internet Explorer 8 browser. This is really short sighted as IE has less than half the browser share these days. See this page on w3schools.com where it's clear that IE8 + IE7 + IE6 (sic) add up to less than the 46% share claimed by Firefox and you can add another 10% for Google Chrome.
Poor site design makes the information less accessible.
In fact switching to no-style in Firefox makes the whole page more readable. The page styles make it far too cramped.
Still, poor site design is a minor issue compared to the mess made of advertising something so important.
http://www.ceop.gov.uk/
It's a good idea but there are a few flaws. The kind of thing that make you think how much better you would have done it yourself.
Poor publicity - haven't they heard of viral campaigns?
I think they have just done a press release to the newspapers and thought it would be enough. Nope.
Ill informed about internet usage.
CEOP is promoting a modified Internet Explorer 8 browser. This is really short sighted as IE has less than half the browser share these days. See this page on w3schools.com where it's clear that IE8 + IE7 + IE6 (sic) add up to less than the 46% share claimed by Firefox and you can add another 10% for Google Chrome.
Poor site design makes the information less accessible.
In fact switching to no-style in Firefox makes the whole page more readable. The page styles make it far too cramped.
Still, poor site design is a minor issue compared to the mess made of advertising something so important.
http://www.ceop.gov.uk/
Have webcams changed the way people relate to each other?
Just about every computer sold today has a webcam built in or supplied with it, the iPad is a notable exception but that's just a marketing ploy. Webcams are everywhere. Many digital cameras can double as a webcam so there are plenty of people around who might not even know they own one. That said it's less likely that these individuals will use theirs.
Yahoo Messenger, MSN Messenger and Skype have been instrumental in pushing forward the use of webcams throughout the world. The use of webcams to display images from public spaces has been a long established use of the technology.
The first and most popular static surveillance webcam was the Trojan Room Coffee Machine at Cambridge University in the UK. It ran from 1991 to 2001 and became extremely popular.
It wasn't until 1996 when JenniCam came online that the voyeuristic possibilities of webcams began to be fully recognised. Jennifer Ringley, 19 at the time, was the first Lifecaster showing all aspects of her life over the internet. She ceased broadcasting in 2004 but is remembered as a pioneer of the webcam.
But are webcams useful?
They can be. As recently as 3rd February (2010) a German man was saved from almost certain death because a woman watching the sunset saw his distress signal. Report here. A dig around on the internet will bring up a few other such incidents such as this brief report of a mother saved when she fell into a diabetic coma.
Without doubt though one of the biggest drivers of webcam usage is for 'Adult encounters' and there are a wealth of sites for this. Some free, some definitely not free.
What's the appeal?
There are several significant reasons for the popularity of the adult webcam sites such as:
The appeal is pretty obvious but what about the downsides?
There are a few of these too but the major one is probably linked to the lack of real human contact, unless you are one of those who does it with a consenting partner.
The distancing effect of webcams is enhanced by sex and the permissiveness it creates not only allows for the increased sexual expression but it also allows misogynistic views of women to flourish. This is completely the opposite of the empowerment sought by the women's movement for so long.
On balance webcams have provided an improved means of communication, a picture is worth a thousand words, but there are a few flaws in the model.
The question is will the parents of today equip their youngsters for the online visually enhanced world?
Yahoo Messenger, MSN Messenger and Skype have been instrumental in pushing forward the use of webcams throughout the world. The use of webcams to display images from public spaces has been a long established use of the technology.
The first and most popular static surveillance webcam was the Trojan Room Coffee Machine at Cambridge University in the UK. It ran from 1991 to 2001 and became extremely popular.
It wasn't until 1996 when JenniCam came online that the voyeuristic possibilities of webcams began to be fully recognised. Jennifer Ringley, 19 at the time, was the first Lifecaster showing all aspects of her life over the internet. She ceased broadcasting in 2004 but is remembered as a pioneer of the webcam.
But are webcams useful?
They can be. As recently as 3rd February (2010) a German man was saved from almost certain death because a woman watching the sunset saw his distress signal. Report here. A dig around on the internet will bring up a few other such incidents such as this brief report of a mother saved when she fell into a diabetic coma.
Without doubt though one of the biggest drivers of webcam usage is for 'Adult encounters' and there are a wealth of sites for this. Some free, some definitely not free.
What's the appeal?
There are several significant reasons for the popularity of the adult webcam sites such as:
- no need to form close personal relationships (Not saying this is a good thing)
- the ultimate safe sex
- voyeurs and exhibitionist alike can satisfy each other's needs
- sexual experimentation where there will be plenty of fans for your fetish
The appeal is pretty obvious but what about the downsides?
There are a few of these too but the major one is probably linked to the lack of real human contact, unless you are one of those who does it with a consenting partner.
The distancing effect of webcams is enhanced by sex and the permissiveness it creates not only allows for the increased sexual expression but it also allows misogynistic views of women to flourish. This is completely the opposite of the empowerment sought by the women's movement for so long.
On balance webcams have provided an improved means of communication, a picture is worth a thousand words, but there are a few flaws in the model.
The question is will the parents of today equip their youngsters for the online visually enhanced world?
Sunday, 7 February 2010
The Pitmen Painters by Lee Hall - theatre play
We went to see The Pitmen Painters by Lee Hall at the National Theatre last night. It was a marvellous evening out and a very entertaining and incidentally educational production.
The story is based on real events that occurred from 1934 onwards. A group of miners, pitmen, from the town of Ashington in Northumberland in the North East of England. Having completed a course studying evolution the miners decided to study art appreciation. To this end they hired Robert Lyon as their tutor. After a few false starts Lyon decided to get the pitmen to learn about art by actually creating some.
This was an inspired move and served to bring the men in the class to fame. The Ashington Group as they became known was formed around 1936 and gradually became a focus of interest for the art establishment and wider public.
The play charts the journey from obscurity to fame in a humorous and light-hearted way. There are some poignant moments which serve to bring home the way the mens lives have been affected.
The play is directed sensitively by Max Roberts and there is a real sense of cohesion amongst the players. Ian Kelly and Christopher Connel lead an excellent cast. The set design is simple, as you would expect from a performance in the Lyttleton theatre.
The great news for anyone travelling to New York is that The Pitmen Painters is coming to Broadway soon.
Cast & Credits
ashingtongroup.co.uk
The story is based on real events that occurred from 1934 onwards. A group of miners, pitmen, from the town of Ashington in Northumberland in the North East of England. Having completed a course studying evolution the miners decided to study art appreciation. To this end they hired Robert Lyon as their tutor. After a few false starts Lyon decided to get the pitmen to learn about art by actually creating some.
This was an inspired move and served to bring the men in the class to fame. The Ashington Group as they became known was formed around 1936 and gradually became a focus of interest for the art establishment and wider public.
The play charts the journey from obscurity to fame in a humorous and light-hearted way. There are some poignant moments which serve to bring home the way the mens lives have been affected.
The play is directed sensitively by Max Roberts and there is a real sense of cohesion amongst the players. Ian Kelly and Christopher Connel lead an excellent cast. The set design is simple, as you would expect from a performance in the Lyttleton theatre.
The great news for anyone travelling to New York is that The Pitmen Painters is coming to Broadway soon.
Cast & Credits
ashingtongroup.co.uk
Friday, 5 February 2010
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince - review
Book
I think that Half Blood Prince is one of the best Harry potter books. We know the magical world inhabited by Harry and his friends, and enemies, very well by now.
A common feature of all the books is that the first chapter is always written away from Harry's viewpoint. We get a wider sense of the world and an introduction to the issues that will have to be dealt with in the coming pages.
Of all the books I like the first chapter 'The Other Minister' the best. There is a real sense here of how the Muggle world and the Magical world are one and the same. We see how the control of the Ministry of Magic is slipping and events in the Muggle world are under the influence of Voldemort's supporters.
The romance between Ginny Weasley and Harry comes to fruition in this story and there are some lovely moments. There is Quidditch for fans of the sport and Harry has to undertake some very demanding tasks and explores Voldemort's past with Dumbledore.
There are plenty of twists and turns in the plot and a few surprises to keep you entertained. The book concludes in a very exciting manner and tragically too, leaving us in no doubt that there are great challenges ahead for Harry. There is a sense that everything is in place... but you'll know that isn't quite true if you have already read The Deathly Hallows.
Movie
Having been so gripped by the book I was expecting to be thoroughly entertained by the film.
Although I'm well aware of the way that story-telling changes when moving from one medium to another I was rather dissappointed when I watched this version of Half Blood Prince. Characters were missing, Rufus Scrimgeour for one and there was no mention of the Dursleys or the Prime Minister either.
There were plenty of other liberties taken too like the attack on the Weasley's house by Fenrir Greyback and Bellatrix Lestrange. It didn't appear in the book and should not have appeared in the film. The story didn't need it.
The effects were good, as you would expect these days. Unfortunately though the director seems to have failed to keep in touch with the characters or the story. One result of the dodgy direction was the way the characters seemed to be a bit soft or ill defined. After all a director is there to crack the whip, if need be, to get the best performances possible from the actors and actresses he's working with. The director's other role is to ensure the story is clearly told to and understood by the audience. The director should really have understood the need for a bit of passion and longing between Ginny and Harry. Unfortunately they seemed to be slightly embarrassed in each other's company.
The script was rather simplistic too, it would have benefited hugely from some of the twists and turns in the book. I missed the contrast between the Muggle Prime Minister and the Minister(s) for Magic and I think the juxtaposition between the meeting and the incidents outside the office would have worked well. The reliance on the common trick of switching dialogue from on character to another or from a snipped character to a less vocal one is rather noticeable here.
The sets were pretty good and it seemed a real waste to destroy the Weasley's house. Especially as so much effort went into visualising it. Weirdly though the house seemed to be in the middle of fenland, which would mean it had mysteriously moved from the rolling hills described in the book. If you need to look it up then it is the difference between the Cotswolds (beautiful rolling countryside) and East Anglia (lots of marshes).
All in all the film was entertaining but not quite what I expected. I did try to suspend my judgement but was not as engaged as I might have been.
I think that Half Blood Prince is one of the best Harry potter books. We know the magical world inhabited by Harry and his friends, and enemies, very well by now.
A common feature of all the books is that the first chapter is always written away from Harry's viewpoint. We get a wider sense of the world and an introduction to the issues that will have to be dealt with in the coming pages.
Of all the books I like the first chapter 'The Other Minister' the best. There is a real sense here of how the Muggle world and the Magical world are one and the same. We see how the control of the Ministry of Magic is slipping and events in the Muggle world are under the influence of Voldemort's supporters.
The romance between Ginny Weasley and Harry comes to fruition in this story and there are some lovely moments. There is Quidditch for fans of the sport and Harry has to undertake some very demanding tasks and explores Voldemort's past with Dumbledore.
There are plenty of twists and turns in the plot and a few surprises to keep you entertained. The book concludes in a very exciting manner and tragically too, leaving us in no doubt that there are great challenges ahead for Harry. There is a sense that everything is in place... but you'll know that isn't quite true if you have already read The Deathly Hallows.
Movie
Having been so gripped by the book I was expecting to be thoroughly entertained by the film.
Although I'm well aware of the way that story-telling changes when moving from one medium to another I was rather dissappointed when I watched this version of Half Blood Prince. Characters were missing, Rufus Scrimgeour for one and there was no mention of the Dursleys or the Prime Minister either.
There were plenty of other liberties taken too like the attack on the Weasley's house by Fenrir Greyback and Bellatrix Lestrange. It didn't appear in the book and should not have appeared in the film. The story didn't need it.
The effects were good, as you would expect these days. Unfortunately though the director seems to have failed to keep in touch with the characters or the story. One result of the dodgy direction was the way the characters seemed to be a bit soft or ill defined. After all a director is there to crack the whip, if need be, to get the best performances possible from the actors and actresses he's working with. The director's other role is to ensure the story is clearly told to and understood by the audience. The director should really have understood the need for a bit of passion and longing between Ginny and Harry. Unfortunately they seemed to be slightly embarrassed in each other's company.
The script was rather simplistic too, it would have benefited hugely from some of the twists and turns in the book. I missed the contrast between the Muggle Prime Minister and the Minister(s) for Magic and I think the juxtaposition between the meeting and the incidents outside the office would have worked well. The reliance on the common trick of switching dialogue from on character to another or from a snipped character to a less vocal one is rather noticeable here.
The sets were pretty good and it seemed a real waste to destroy the Weasley's house. Especially as so much effort went into visualising it. Weirdly though the house seemed to be in the middle of fenland, which would mean it had mysteriously moved from the rolling hills described in the book. If you need to look it up then it is the difference between the Cotswolds (beautiful rolling countryside) and East Anglia (lots of marshes).
All in all the film was entertaining but not quite what I expected. I did try to suspend my judgement but was not as engaged as I might have been.
LibraryThing.com - online library website review
I've been a member of this site for a while and I think it fantastic. As long as you put the time in that is. However as soon as you start to see how it works then the appeal becomes clear.
You add books by typing in the ISBN number or title if the book doesn't have one. Select the image of the cover - or upload your own picture if you need to. As your collection builds take care to tag/categorize the books so they are organised neatly.
There are other details you can add and of course your review of the book.
The site then cleverly shows you who else has the same book and uses the information to suggest other books to you. You can explore the collections of other members and build up a network of friends.
There's loads to discover on the site and you can get a lot of use out of your free account. You can upgrade to a paid account to get more functions and privileges.
This is a really special site and a must for book enthusiasts.
Visit the site at librarything.com
You add books by typing in the ISBN number or title if the book doesn't have one. Select the image of the cover - or upload your own picture if you need to. As your collection builds take care to tag/categorize the books so they are organised neatly.
There are other details you can add and of course your review of the book.
The site then cleverly shows you who else has the same book and uses the information to suggest other books to you. You can explore the collections of other members and build up a network of friends.
There's loads to discover on the site and you can get a lot of use out of your free account. You can upgrade to a paid account to get more functions and privileges.
This is a really special site and a must for book enthusiasts.
Visit the site at librarything.com
Thursday, 4 February 2010
Proof of Life (2000) - one of my favourite films
I've tried to analyse why I like this film so much and I think it's for the following reasons.
It is the story of the kidnapping, negotiation for the release of and subsequent rescue of Peter Bowman, an engineer working in South America. Peter's wife Alice hires Terry Thorne as a negotiator for the release of her husband.
Good Story
The plot has many twists and turns which is one of the things that makes the film so watchable. The pace is nicely handled under the direction of Taylor Hackford but credit has to go to the editors too for their part in telling the story clearly. There are many good performances and the growing relationship between Meg Ryan's character, Alice, and Terry played by Russell Crowe is beautifully acted.
Well Defined Characters
The characters are nicely defined and well cast. There is a problem in some productions which are poorly cast where you see characters that look too much the same. Not so in Proof of Life where each character is identifiable which helps make the plot understandable.
Pace
This is where the skills of the editors come in to play as they select the scenes and cut them together to not only tell the story clearly but assist in defining the characters and their parts in the action. This film is well paced and the slower scenes where the character exposition takes place contrast well with the faster action later in the film. The negotiation scenes are well handled and bearing in mind you se only one side of the conversation they are all the better for that.
This is a very enjoyable film. Definitely for grown ups and it has a combination of action and romance which is unusually well done.
It is the story of the kidnapping, negotiation for the release of and subsequent rescue of Peter Bowman, an engineer working in South America. Peter's wife Alice hires Terry Thorne as a negotiator for the release of her husband.
Good Story
The plot has many twists and turns which is one of the things that makes the film so watchable. The pace is nicely handled under the direction of Taylor Hackford but credit has to go to the editors too for their part in telling the story clearly. There are many good performances and the growing relationship between Meg Ryan's character, Alice, and Terry played by Russell Crowe is beautifully acted.
Well Defined Characters
The characters are nicely defined and well cast. There is a problem in some productions which are poorly cast where you see characters that look too much the same. Not so in Proof of Life where each character is identifiable which helps make the plot understandable.
Pace
This is where the skills of the editors come in to play as they select the scenes and cut them together to not only tell the story clearly but assist in defining the characters and their parts in the action. This film is well paced and the slower scenes where the character exposition takes place contrast well with the faster action later in the film. The negotiation scenes are well handled and bearing in mind you se only one side of the conversation they are all the better for that.
This is a very enjoyable film. Definitely for grown ups and it has a combination of action and romance which is unusually well done.
Wednesday, 3 February 2010
Review of Balsamiq Mockups - cool tool for web design
One of the hardest things to do well as a web developer is to communicate clearly and effectively with other members of the team, clients and designers. Communicating information about the structure of a web page or the pages that comprise a web application can be a nightmare. Scraps of paper everywhere, endless Photoshop revisions that look like the finished item and a host of other annoyances.
All that is a thing of the past. I was recently introduced to Balsamiq Mockups by a colleague who was enthusing about it.
What is it?
Balsamic Mockups is a program that allows you to quickly draft, that is mockup, web pages and application interfaces. It is now possible to quickly and easily assemble a presentable understandable set of drafts in electronic form.
The interface is very simple to use. The components you need are all dragged into place. A brilliant feature here is that you can use your own data and really customise the look and feel of the mocked up pages.
It's worth noting here that the look of the components you drop in are hand drawn, this is deliberate and really helps with the informal presentation of ideas. The clean lines of a Photoshopped mockup are easily taken for a completed idea when in fact you need the slightly rough look to assist in conveying the idea that this is mocked up and therefore can be changed.
The mockups can be moved around easily as images and saved files. or sit down with a series of UI testers and dynamically create new versions to compare later.
As a UI design tool this is so cool. You can create mockups to use in presentations
There is a desktop version and a web version so there is a great deal of flexibility there.
This is a brilliant tool no doubt about it. I recommend it to all who are doing any work in software development which requires a UI design.
Currently priced at US$79 which is under £40. This makes it a very affordable tool to have available. It's a real timesaver.
All that is a thing of the past. I was recently introduced to Balsamiq Mockups by a colleague who was enthusing about it.
What is it?
Balsamic Mockups is a program that allows you to quickly draft, that is mockup, web pages and application interfaces. It is now possible to quickly and easily assemble a presentable understandable set of drafts in electronic form.
The interface is very simple to use. The components you need are all dragged into place. A brilliant feature here is that you can use your own data and really customise the look and feel of the mocked up pages.
It's worth noting here that the look of the components you drop in are hand drawn, this is deliberate and really helps with the informal presentation of ideas. The clean lines of a Photoshopped mockup are easily taken for a completed idea when in fact you need the slightly rough look to assist in conveying the idea that this is mocked up and therefore can be changed.
The mockups can be moved around easily as images and saved files. or sit down with a series of UI testers and dynamically create new versions to compare later.
As a UI design tool this is so cool. You can create mockups to use in presentations
There is a desktop version and a web version so there is a great deal of flexibility there.
This is a brilliant tool no doubt about it. I recommend it to all who are doing any work in software development which requires a UI design.
Currently priced at US$79 which is under £40. This makes it a very affordable tool to have available. It's a real timesaver.
Monday, 1 February 2010
Ten reasons why the iPad is a non-starter
There seem to be an awful lot of people, Apple followers mostly, who think that the iPad is the next big thing. Well it isn't. Just because it's new doesn't mean it's any good and just because Apple made it doesn't mean they got it right.
My instinct is that the Apple roadmap for the iPad goes something like this..
- Restricted features. Apple are trying to run the tablet market by their own rules and this means limiting the functions on its products.
- It is not new technology. There are already tablets on the market and they have been around for a while. There will be plenty more in the coming months. Archos have a product they call a PC Tablet. Archos 9
- Branding is not enough. It may be Apple but they are only protected by their, fiendishly, loyal customers. This is an overhyped release, there is nothing revolutionary in the iPad.
- iPad competes with iPhone. The iPad will run on a version of the same OS as the iPhone. The Apps will run on both but the iPhone is already pretty capable and the iPad does not take calls.
- File management is clunky. As the iPad will be using a similar OS to the iPhone it's likely that you will not easily be able to drag and drop files from one device to another. It's still the 1980's as far as this is concerned.
- No direct support for USB. Another Apple lockdown means that you lose out on the flexibility offered by USB. Connection to other devices is only through the iPad dock.
- No Flash support. I know Adobe's Flash can be a memory hog at times but it seems spurious of Apple to deny support for a ubiquitous technology such as this.
- No SD memory slot. This is crazy. You cannot add any extra memory or swap/transfer files through the convenience of the SD. I guess it also means you won't be able to run another OS on it either... as if.
- No camera. Duh! You can get a camera on your DSi - that's got an 'i' in the product name too!
- GPS is partially supported. You don't get GPS on the WiFi only version and the GPS has limited functions through the 3G connection. I guess they will depend on your service provider.
My instinct is that the Apple roadmap for the iPad goes something like this..
- Toe in the water... Launch iPad version 1
- Wait and build sales and loyalty
- Offer iPad next version - with extra features - a camera would be nice but it will not be able to talk to its older brother.
- Software SDK updated, out modes the version one machines
- Repeat...
Nurse Jackie - quirky, amusing and darkly humorous.
There's a strong streak of irony running through this program and I suspect a lot of truth underlies the Nurse Jackie character and her antics.
The program is well written and fast paced and Edie Falco leads a good cast of characters. There isn't too much dwelling on morality as we see Jackie follows her own way of how the world works.
I'm going to keep watching this weird and wonderful program and I think I'll enjoy it very much. I missed series one so It'll be great getting to know the characters.
The program is well written and fast paced and Edie Falco leads a good cast of characters. There isn't too much dwelling on morality as we see Jackie follows her own way of how the world works.
I'm going to keep watching this weird and wonderful program and I think I'll enjoy it very much. I missed series one so It'll be great getting to know the characters.
Sunday, 31 January 2010
Handy Music Search Engine
Here is a tweaked version of a Google Search engine to use when you are looking for MP3s to download.
Saturday, 30 January 2010
Google drops support for IE6 - not a day too soon
Google has announced that it will be withdrawing support for Internet Explorer 6, from March 1st 2010. This follows the highly publicised spat with China over the attack on Chinese Gmail accounts.
It still isn't totally clear where the attacks originated but they were successful enough to cause a big headache for Google and I suspect that part of the motivation for ceasing IE6 support is 'Saving Face'. After all if Google and China are still to continue trading, and it seems they must, then someone has to do something about resolving the disharmony that originated from the attacks.
Microsoft issued a fairly prompt patch for IE6 and I don't envy the developers given that task. Germany and France were instrumental in increasing Microsoft's pain by advising their citizens to switch to other browsers. IE6 is ancient and out of step with the security situation on the internet these days and really shouldn't be in use any more. The close tie in between browser and operating system never was a good idea.
Are you still using this browser or have you switched to Firefox or IE8 already.
Here are some links to assist in finding your alternative browser.
It still isn't totally clear where the attacks originated but they were successful enough to cause a big headache for Google and I suspect that part of the motivation for ceasing IE6 support is 'Saving Face'. After all if Google and China are still to continue trading, and it seems they must, then someone has to do something about resolving the disharmony that originated from the attacks.
Microsoft issued a fairly prompt patch for IE6 and I don't envy the developers given that task. Germany and France were instrumental in increasing Microsoft's pain by advising their citizens to switch to other browsers. IE6 is ancient and out of step with the security situation on the internet these days and really shouldn't be in use any more. The close tie in between browser and operating system never was a good idea.
Are you still using this browser or have you switched to Firefox or IE8 already.
Here are some links to assist in finding your alternative browser.
Friday, 29 January 2010
Is it fair for Apple to lockdown their products?
Apple are very dedicated to maintaining their balance sheets and making sure they make a healthy profit. Could this be why they lock down their products so thoroughly.
What is a lockdown? In computing terms we mean it is a restriction of access to a limited range of features and functions. Generally speaking it will be deliberate.
There are two main reasons why you might lock down a product. Security and enforcing consumer loyalty.
The iPhone and now the iPad are both able to browse the web and allow you to have even more of it and all the time. However you are not able to see any Flash content on the web pages. This is a big problem if you're a Youtube (as one example) fan.
How do you solve this? Very simple, you need an App
Apparently Apple considers Adobe's Flash product to be insecure or have security issues which might cause problems on the iPhone and now the iPad. In reality they could have solved this issue pretty simply with both and allowed a fully functioning browser to operate inside a software 'sandbox'. There isn't so much money in that though.
Apparently Adobe are up in arms about this but I'm not taking sides with them.
My gripe is that the consumer will happily buy into a 'friendly' company like Apple with their shiny innovative gadgets and then they find themselves 'locked in'.
I reckon Apple could open up and still make loads of money... maybe not quite so much though.
What is a lockdown? In computing terms we mean it is a restriction of access to a limited range of features and functions. Generally speaking it will be deliberate.
There are two main reasons why you might lock down a product. Security and enforcing consumer loyalty.
The iPhone and now the iPad are both able to browse the web and allow you to have even more of it and all the time. However you are not able to see any Flash content on the web pages. This is a big problem if you're a Youtube (as one example) fan.
How do you solve this? Very simple, you need an App
Apparently Apple considers Adobe's Flash product to be insecure or have security issues which might cause problems on the iPhone and now the iPad. In reality they could have solved this issue pretty simply with both and allowed a fully functioning browser to operate inside a software 'sandbox'. There isn't so much money in that though.
Apparently Adobe are up in arms about this but I'm not taking sides with them.
My gripe is that the consumer will happily buy into a 'friendly' company like Apple with their shiny innovative gadgets and then they find themselves 'locked in'.
I reckon Apple could open up and still make loads of money... maybe not quite so much though.
Thursday, 28 January 2010
Why all the fuss about the Apple iPad?
Apple are well known for producing, and selling innovative products. The Mac, iPod and of course the iPhone are probably the major examples of this.
There is nothing new about a tablet computer. They have been around for a long time which means that Apple are joining a market which already has some activity. No doubt they have done their research as well and I expect their (now) competitors machine are all in bits on an Apple workbench somewhere.
One of Apples great strengths as a company is the sheer success of their innovation. I'm not sure they have actually invented anything as such but if you look at the combinations of technology in their product then you can be impressed.
So what about the iPad. The name is fairly predictable so what about the rest?
A Touchscreen, well that's expected in just about any product these days. Even Microsoft cobbled together some touchscreen tech into their Windows 7 offering.
Naturally, Apps will be part of the package and the operating system will be well locked down.
How many people will watch and wait for the inevitable, if it's a success, iPad 4Gs? Or maybe you'll pick up on cheap on eBay after about 6months.
The new iPad is described, by Apple, as 'Magical and Revolutionary'. Only time will tell on that one.
There is nothing new about a tablet computer. They have been around for a long time which means that Apple are joining a market which already has some activity. No doubt they have done their research as well and I expect their (now) competitors machine are all in bits on an Apple workbench somewhere.
One of Apples great strengths as a company is the sheer success of their innovation. I'm not sure they have actually invented anything as such but if you look at the combinations of technology in their product then you can be impressed.
So what about the iPad. The name is fairly predictable so what about the rest?
A Touchscreen, well that's expected in just about any product these days. Even Microsoft cobbled together some touchscreen tech into their Windows 7 offering.
Naturally, Apps will be part of the package and the operating system will be well locked down.
How many people will watch and wait for the inevitable, if it's a success, iPad 4Gs? Or maybe you'll pick up on cheap on eBay after about 6months.
The new iPad is described, by Apple, as 'Magical and Revolutionary'. Only time will tell on that one.
Tuesday, 26 January 2010
Review of Avatar3D
Update 18 Jan 2010: Avatar won best film (drama) and James Cameron won Best Director at the golden Globe Awards.
Someone once said that every movie ever made was a 'religious movie'. That covers Avatar to a degree but I'd say it had a strong spiritual element. The visuals are breathtaking but when choosing your seat make sure that you get the best experience by filling your vision with the screen. If your seats are lettered front to back of the cinema then think about getting seats around L,M or N - check first don't rely on my suggestion!
Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) is an ex-marine, a common enough character in movies, who has been paralysed and is now paraplegic. He takes the place of his dead brother on a mission to a distant moon called Pandora. The name is suggestive of the horrors to be found there. Set about 150 years in our future we gather that Earth is in a poor state and that big business can make a great deal of money from obtaining Unobtanium from Pandora. Jake's mission is to find out how to remove the somewhat angry natives, the Navi, from their home on the prime piece of real estate over the massive Unobtanium mineral deposit. The Avatar of the title refers to a human-navi hybrid created to cross the barriers of culture and allow the humans to interact with the native people. Through some movie science we see that Jake is able to link to his avatar and embark on a wondrous adventure amongst the Navi people.
The story does rely on the viewer to fill in here and there and along with all good movies a few liberties are taken. The visual effects from WETA are totally stunning. A lot of care has gone into crafting a new world. It is no wonder that the film has received many accolades already. The direction is pretty good but you can get a sense that the actors were not totally 'pushed to the line', however they were clearly committed to the film and well supported.
This is a very violent movie as we see the militaristic side of the human race represented by Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang). He hates the planet and he hates the Navi because they're in his way. He also hates the scientists because they are getting in his way as well. There is a great deal of death and destruction, we're well set up for the time the natives fight back. If only the indigenous people in the Amazon Basin had had the backup of an ex-marine.
In juxtaposition to the military horrors we learn, at a gentle pace, that the planet is an organism and everything on it is linked together. It's a bit like the Gaia hypothesis with extra bits added on.
Jake Sully has to deal with resentment from all sides and gains the respect of the scientists and the Navi, eventually. The ending is none too surprising as we see Jake-avatar battling with Quaritch to the death. The naive death dealing humans are sent away and Jake gets his girl, in the form of Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), and gets to keep his super-duper human-navi body.
Overall well worth seeing. Very exciting and has lots of memorable, enjoyable scenes.
Someone once said that every movie ever made was a 'religious movie'. That covers Avatar to a degree but I'd say it had a strong spiritual element. The visuals are breathtaking but when choosing your seat make sure that you get the best experience by filling your vision with the screen. If your seats are lettered front to back of the cinema then think about getting seats around L,M or N - check first don't rely on my suggestion!
Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) is an ex-marine, a common enough character in movies, who has been paralysed and is now paraplegic. He takes the place of his dead brother on a mission to a distant moon called Pandora. The name is suggestive of the horrors to be found there. Set about 150 years in our future we gather that Earth is in a poor state and that big business can make a great deal of money from obtaining Unobtanium from Pandora. Jake's mission is to find out how to remove the somewhat angry natives, the Navi, from their home on the prime piece of real estate over the massive Unobtanium mineral deposit. The Avatar of the title refers to a human-navi hybrid created to cross the barriers of culture and allow the humans to interact with the native people. Through some movie science we see that Jake is able to link to his avatar and embark on a wondrous adventure amongst the Navi people.
The story does rely on the viewer to fill in here and there and along with all good movies a few liberties are taken. The visual effects from WETA are totally stunning. A lot of care has gone into crafting a new world. It is no wonder that the film has received many accolades already. The direction is pretty good but you can get a sense that the actors were not totally 'pushed to the line', however they were clearly committed to the film and well supported.
This is a very violent movie as we see the militaristic side of the human race represented by Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang). He hates the planet and he hates the Navi because they're in his way. He also hates the scientists because they are getting in his way as well. There is a great deal of death and destruction, we're well set up for the time the natives fight back. If only the indigenous people in the Amazon Basin had had the backup of an ex-marine.
In juxtaposition to the military horrors we learn, at a gentle pace, that the planet is an organism and everything on it is linked together. It's a bit like the Gaia hypothesis with extra bits added on.
Jake Sully has to deal with resentment from all sides and gains the respect of the scientists and the Navi, eventually. The ending is none too surprising as we see Jake-avatar battling with Quaritch to the death. The naive death dealing humans are sent away and Jake gets his girl, in the form of Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), and gets to keep his super-duper human-navi body.
Overall well worth seeing. Very exciting and has lots of memorable, enjoyable scenes.
My new Samsung SP-30 flash video camera
Lucky me it's my birthday (soon) and I've just got one of these very nifty cameras. It's packed with features normally associated with other higher spec devices. Very easy to learn to use. Very light in weight which counts a little against it for stability. Overall very impressive for the price tag.
Friday, 22 January 2010
Review sports camcorder. The tiny Mini DV 80s - sport - video - gadget
I bought the Mini DV 80s from Maplin as a January treat for myself. It cost me £49.95 which seems to be a lot cheaper than I've seen elsewhere on the web.
The camera is truly tiny and comes with a comprehensive kit so you can attach it to yourself, your body, bike and just about anywhere you want to record from. It comes with a 2GB mini SD card so you don't even need to stock up on those first.
The recording format is AVI and the quality is pretty good. It handles low light conditions quite well although you would expect the images to be grainy in that situation. The battery is a built in rechargeable and you get a charger supplied in the box. There is a sound activation function which can be set to trigger the camera to record as soon as it detects a signal above about 65dB.
The one thing I miss when I look at the features is a waterproof housing. It would be fantastic to be able to go swimming with this on and then playback the results later.
I'd certainly recommend it to sports enthusiasts and even to amateur film makers who want something really super-compact for action shots. You might want to be careful how you look after it as the size means you might lose it easily.
It's on sale at Maplin until 23rd Feb 2010:
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=338654&TabID=1&source=3
The camera is truly tiny and comes with a comprehensive kit so you can attach it to yourself, your body, bike and just about anywhere you want to record from. It comes with a 2GB mini SD card so you don't even need to stock up on those first.
The recording format is AVI and the quality is pretty good. It handles low light conditions quite well although you would expect the images to be grainy in that situation. The battery is a built in rechargeable and you get a charger supplied in the box. There is a sound activation function which can be set to trigger the camera to record as soon as it detects a signal above about 65dB.
The one thing I miss when I look at the features is a waterproof housing. It would be fantastic to be able to go swimming with this on and then playback the results later.
I'd certainly recommend it to sports enthusiasts and even to amateur film makers who want something really super-compact for action shots. You might want to be careful how you look after it as the size means you might lose it easily.
It's on sale at Maplin until 23rd Feb 2010:
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=338654&TabID=1&source=3
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