December 2007
77 posts
The classy side of Tooting [Flickr] →
Softly, Softly posted a photo:
It even had “Pretty in pink”; written on the back of it…
A slightly crazy tree on Wandsworth Road [Flickr] →
Softly, Softly posted a photo:
Rich [Flickr] →
Softly, Softly posted a photo:
Claire [Flickr] →
Softly, Softly posted a photo:
Wired's first anniversary issue [Flickr] →
Softly, Softly posted a photo:
Dug out of the box which Claire brought round
links for 2007-12-29 →
David Carrington » UK SMS to Jaiku gateway Want to send SMS’s to Jaiku from the UK - but don’t want to be charged international SMS rates? David has brilliantly set up a gateway, which is a UK number which forwards SMS’s on. (tags: jaiku sms uk)
Music industry claims personal use ripping isn't... →
Download Uproar: Record Industry Goes After Personal Use - washingtonpost.com:
“In legal documents in its federal case against Jeffrey Howell, a Scottsdale, Ariz., man who kept a collection of about 2,000 music recordings on his personal computer, the industry maintains that it is illegal for someone who has legally purchased a CD to transfer that music into his computer.” I’m...
Why I back Lane Hartwell →
Because the other side includes people who make comments like this: “mons 12.26.07 / 5am: eat shit and die lanie. you’re a stupid ass bitch”
Should you be worried about the FlickrFan license? →
One of the bad habits I have is checking licenses for any crazy stuff, and I found something interesting in the license for Dave Winer’s new product, FlickrFan. “You acknowledge that SNI or third parties own all right, title and interest in and to FlickrFan, portions thereof, or software or content provided through or in conjunction with FlickrFan, including without limitation all...
The hype machine swings behind FlickrFan →
I know that analysts are sometimes in the hyperbole business, but this, from Michael Gartenberg, really is ridiculous:
“That’s why Dave Winer’s FlickrFan is so important. While there are plenty of solutions that let you view photos from your PC on your TV, FlickrFan takes the next logical step and allows me to not only get my own content on a the TV screen but rather lets me...
links for 2007-12-27 →
Google ruining Christmas? Get a grip - - mathewingram.com/work Matthew is completely right: the meaning of “shared” was perfectly clear all along. What part of “shared” didn’t people understand? (tags: google reader rss idiocy) Details of Apple’s Mysterious New Portable Device - Seeking Alpha Another “larger format iPhone-style device” rumour....
Guests gone, so George de-cloaks [Flickr] →
Softly, Softly posted a photo:
Using her stealth powers, George managed to hide for two days. Once the unfamiliar people had gone, she immediately decloaked.
I Iz Hidin! [Flickr] →
Softly, Softly posted a photo:
George decided that the best option for Christmas was under the bed, given the appearance of people she did not know.
Die, Adobe, die! →
Back in the mid-1990’s, everyone in the design world hated one company with a passion: Quark. If you wanted to do professional print publishing, you had to use QuarkXPress. And Quark knew it, fleecing its customers with absurd pricing, adding on onerous conditions, and even at one point dongling its products. Then along came Adobe InDesign. InDesign 1.0 wasn’t as good as QuarkXPress,...
The insanity of Sainsburys [Flickr] →
Softly, Softly posted a photo:
Everyone had appeared to decide to do their Christmas food shopping at the last minute.
But what does it mean? [Flickr] →
Softly, Softly posted a photo:
Two posters in Soho.
The queue of the week [Flickr] →
Softly, Softly posted a photo:
links for 2007-12-23 →
The Metaverse: Aleister Kronos on the Colgate “build” Colgate has created a build/campaign in Second Life which, so far, doesn’t look promising. (tags: secondlife marketing) Rough Type: Nicholas Carr’s Blog: He with the most data wins “In many cases, one can hypothesize, Google can afford to operate services at a loss simply because the data it collects about...
links for 2007-12-22 →
The Metaverse: Death of Second Life? Nope Researched predicts “the death of Second Life”. Except he doesn’t, but what he does predict doesn’t make as good a headline. (tags: secondlife)
Jobs accepts my offer, launches blogger amnesty... →
Well, it’s not a personal email, but it seems like at least Fake Steve is listening. Apple launches a blogger amnesty program, and I’m going to be second in the queue, after David Pogue (who must really be tired of writing about Apple by now).
links for 2007-12-21 →
Redmond | RSS Column: 10 Apples To Tempt Microsoft Mary Jo Foley’s list of ten things which Apple has got away with that Microsoft shouldn’t try, under any circumstances. My favourite: Don’t “Think that no comments (and black turtlenecks) will make everything OK” (tags: microsoft apple maryjofoley) Apple Kills Think Secret: Publisher Nick Ciarelli Talks |...
An open letter to Steve Jobs →
Dear Steve, Over the years, you and I have had our disagreements. There’s been press conferences where I’ve sat in the audience and I’ve sniggered at your occasional faux pas or the odd blank stare when you’re asked about Apple issues in Europe. I’ve even written some pretty critical things about you. Nothing personal, you understand - but just because I like the...
Ever wanted to know what covering a Macworld Expo... →
The latest edition of the MacNotables podcast takes a look at what it’s like covering a Macworld Expo as press, including contributions from Chris Breen, Ted Landau, Dan Frakes and Adam Engst. If you’re working in PR, you should definitely give this one a listen - there’s a lot of common mistakes that PR’s make at these kinds of shows, which the panel outline in detail!...
The Google Monopoly Begins →
Microsoft Watch - Web Services & Browser - The Google Monopoly Begins Joe Wilcox writes a savage exposé of Google and it’s future. Do we really have more to fear from the Google monopoly than Microsoft’s? Joe’s answer is “yes”, and I’m inclined to believe he’s right.
Technorati Tags: Google
New setup →
New setup Originally uploaded by Softly, Softly
The new monitor - a rather nice Samsung 22in which cost less than £200 - arrived this morning, which means that I’ve finally got pretty much the setup that I’ve wanted for a while.
New setup [Flickr] →
Softly, Softly posted a photo:
I’ve got my new setup, with a rather tasty Samsung 22in monitor - so bright that I’ve had to turn the brightness down a little.
links for 2007-12-20 →
More photographers angry with the Bubble video Fair use does not mean you have the right to make new works of art using someone else’s work. (tags: lanehartwell video copyright)
When thinking about copyright, remember what... →
Larry Lessig, Free Culture:
“A free culture is not a culture without property; it is not a culture in which artists don’t get paid. A culture without property, or in which creators can’t get paid, is anarchy, not freedom.”
The new keyboard →
The new keyboard Originally uploaded by Softly, Softly
I’ve long been a huge fan of the traditional Apple keyboard, but with the Mac mini now safe ensconced underneath the TV, I thought I’d get a new wireless keyboard to go with it. However, I don’t think it’s actually going to go with the Mac mini. It’s so comfortable to type on that I’m thinking of making...
The Labour urge - if it moves, criminalise it →
BBC NEWS | Politics | UK ‘should outlaw paying for sex’:
“Commons Leader Harriet Harman has told the BBC she wants the law to be changed to make it illegal to pay for sex. It would counter international human trafficking which sees girls bought and sold by criminals in the UK, she added.” A classic piece of Labour thinking. Human trafficking is already illegal. Pimping -...
The new keyboard [Flickr] →
Softly, Softly posted a photo:
Surprisingly comfortable to type on. I’m rather impressed.
Think Secret: The background →
If you’re interested in the background for the Think Secret case, I’ve written several posts on it in the past: Why the Think Secret case is being overplayed, by everyone (March 2005) “I don’t think that Think Secret’s stories overstepped the mark, because they were actually fairly generic and vague. Those who are talking of this as a threat to freedom of speech are wrong: at...
Poor, FORTUNE →
In its blog post on the shuttering of Think Secret FORTUNE magazine manages to miss the point quite nicely: “The case drew national attention because it raised important questions about press freedom and whether First Amendment protections extend to blogs.” It might have “raised important questions” about blogs - but only in the minds of people obsessed with the distinction...
In praise of Think Secret →
Anyone coming to the Mac in the past couple of years won’t have seen Think Secret during its heyday, when editor-in-chief (and owner, and reporter, and bottle-washer) Nick “dePlume” Ciarelli was running the site on a day-to-day basis. Since Nick decamped for Harvard, the site has effectively been on hold, which makes its demise less important than it once would have been. In its day, though, Think...
Google Reader shared items →
As a reminder, you can subscribe to my Google Reader Shared Items here. You can also friend me using the new social stuff - I’m ianbetteridge at gmail dot com.
Congratulations to Daniel Jalkut! →
Big congratulations to Daniel Jalkut of Red Sweater Software, whose marvellous blog editing application MarsEdit won one of the Macworld Eddy awards. Daniel has done a great job of continuing MarsEdit since acquiring it, and MarsEdit is an excellent power blog editor.
At the moment, I’m trying out Blogo, which is a very different proposition - and I’ll try and post something about it...
Nokia TabletOS 2008 reviewed in depth →
Tabletblog.com has a very in-depth review of Nokia TabletOS 2008, which demonstrates how far the little tablet has come since its release. It’s interesting to see Nokia’s approach - produce companion devices which work alongside a mobile phone, rather than go the way of the iPhone.
(Via GottaBeMobile)
Google, buy Remember The Milk already! →
The one big thing that’s missing from Google’s suite of productivity applications is task management. You can write documents, manage your calendar, store information in notebooks, but tasks? Nope, unless you want to do them in a notebook. And that’s why the integration that Remember The Milk has been doing with Google’s applications is so interesting, and - unless Google...
links for 2007-12-19 →
iPhone 101: Two-fingered Scrolling - The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) Great little tip from Erica Sadun - if you scroll on the iPhone screen using two fingers, it scrolls just the frame your fingers are in, not the whole screen. (tags: iphone) Diana Walker: The Bigger Picture Gallery (December 2007) - The Digital Journalist Via MacFormat, a brilliant photo of Steve Jobs in his home circa...
links for 2007-12-18 →
meish dot org » Reflections on Le Web 3 Meg totally totally wins. (tags: Technology leweb sexism)
Alice [Flickr] →
Softly, Softly posted a photo:
Alice [Flickr] →
Softly, Softly posted a photo:
links for 2007-12-13 →
Using a Mac…why oh why? - Greg Reinacker’s Weblog - Musings on just about everything. Greg Reinacker, founder and CTO of Newsgator and a long time blogger, waxes lyrical about the Mac he’s been using. (tags: mac gregreinacker) Google Calendar Sync for BlackBerry Native synchronisation between Google Calendar and Blackberry, without any other add-ons. (tags: google blackberry...
More Google iPhone goodness →
Official Google Mobile Blog: Picasa Redefined for your iPhone:
“Today, I’m happy to tell you that we’ve just released this new iPhone interface for Picasa. After you go to Picasa on your iPhone and log in, you can quickly see all your albums that you’ve uploaded to Picasa Web. If you click on any of the albums, you can get a full view of your picture with comments from...
Why Microsoft loses and Apple wins, part 2 →
Michael Gartenberg reports that Plays for Sure is dead, and that everything is now just “Vista Certified” - whatever that means:
“So Plays for Sure is now Vista Certified. Except, isn’t Zune also Vista Certified? But Zune content won’t play on any other device? And what XP owners? Do their devices stop working? How on earth do I as a consumer with an older device...
Why Microsoft loses and Apple wins, part 2 →
Michael Gartenberg reports that Plays for Sure is dead, and that everything is now just “Vista Certified” - whatever that means:
“So Plays for Sure is now Vista Certified. Except, isn’t Zune also Vista Certified? But Zune content won’t play on any other device? And what XP owners? Do their devices stop working? How on earth do I as a consumer with an older device...
Why Apple's touch features win, and Microsoft's... →
Hilton Locke : Dell Latitude XT Tablet on the website!:
“I will say that if you are impressed by the ‘touch features’ in the iPhone, you’ll be blown away by what’s coming in Windows 7. Now if only we could convince more OEMs that Windows Touch Technology is going to drive their sales.” And that, in a nutshell, is Microsoft’s problem: it has to...
Why Apple's touch features win, and Microsoft's... →
Hilton Locke : Dell Latitude XT Tablet on the website!: “I will say that if you are impressed by the ‘touch features’ in the iPhone, you’ll be blown away by what’s coming in Windows 7. Now if only we could convince more OEMs that Windows Touch Technology is going to drive their sales.” And that, in a nutshell, is Microsoft’s problem: it has to develop...
Tim O'Reilly on how the iPhone has changed... →
Multi-touch Raises the Bar:
“There’s been an awful lot of commentary about Amazon’s new Kindle. It’s clearly lived up to its name, and ignited a lot of discussion and excitement about the new possibilities of the always-on electronic book. I wanted to add one more piece of fuel to the fire. But it’s not about ebooks, or even much about the Kindle. It’s about...
Tim O'Reilly on how the iPhone has changed... →
Multi-touch Raises the Bar:
“There’s been an awful lot of commentary about Amazon’s new Kindle. It’s clearly lived up to its name, and ignited a lot of discussion and excitement about the new possibilities of the always-on electronic book. I wanted to add one more piece of fuel to the fire. But it’s not about ebooks, or even much about the Kindle. It’s about...