A Small Change Makes A Difference

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Apple iPhone Deal May End in France

Read an interesting article on the internet today about sales of the iPhone in France, it would appear that Bougues Telecom complained to the French Competition Council that it was unfair of Apple to have an exclusive deal with Orange France. The Council agreed and Apple’s agreement with Orange bad for competition. The full article can be read here Hopefully this ruling will make other European countries investigate the Apple iPhone deals in their countries, as I for one would like to have an iPhone, but on the network of my choice rather than Apple’s

Starbucks Arrives on Tassimo

Great to see, finally, that us European Tassimo users can enjoy a cup of Starbucks Coffee freshly made on our Tassimo machines. For the moment there is only one flavour available - House Blend. Hopefully in the future some of the other blends such as African Kitamu, Colombian and Caffe Verona will make it to European Tassimo owners. For more details on the variety see this link http://www.tassimo.co.uk/tassimo/page?siteid=tassimo-prd&locale=uken1&PagecRef=817

Interesting thing is though, that unlike the American version, the European version comes in a standard size T-Disc. I suspect this is due to the fact that alot of European Tassimo owners have the original version that could only take the standard size T-Disc. This is a pity as I understand that the large T-Disc enables the coffee to be brewed better. Hopefully the large size T-Disc will be used for future blends. I have not yet tried a Starbucks coffee, either on the Tassimo or in a Starbucks cafe, even though my parents bought me back a pack of House Blend and Caffe Verona from the US for my Tassimo, when they went there recently for a holiday. I plan to try them at Christmas so will post my experiences of these coffees when I have had one!

Apple Tax

Read an interesting article at cnet news which suggests that Microsoft think that when you buy an Apple computer you pay an Apple Tax. The article can be read here http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-10064580-75.html

I’m not sure what to make of the idea of an Apple Tax as I am sure that when you purchase a PC you need to buy extras such as anti-virus software, spyware blockers, etc, software that is not essential on a Mac.

What do you think? Comments welcome.

The Future Of iWork

I really enjoy using the new iWork 08 office suite from Apple, and have been thinking about how it can be improved, as unlike Microsoft Office it is missing some useful features.

One of the features I think Apple should consider building in to future version of iWork is an organization tool, along the same lines of Entourage, but accessing the same data as Mail, iCal and Address Book, and including Mobile Me and iSync tools as well, as I feel that not having a program in the suite that can compete with Entourage / Outlook is a mistake as it might put corporate users off using the suite, as many users like to use an all in one e-mail / calendar / contact program.

Another useful addition would be including the database program Bento in a joint package, so that perhaps for an extra £20 you get iWork and Bento, as I think that Bento would be a useful addition to iWork and provide it with useful database functions.

All in all I think Apple have produced a great office suite at a great price (£55) and I hope that future is bright for iWork

More Digital Rights Management

I have been reading recently, that Norway is not happy with the way the iTunes store is run, due to the fact that anything you purchase can only be viewed / listened to on your computer, or an iPod / iPhone. As I understand it the reason this is, is due to Fair Play - Apple’s DRM system. Apple have stated in the past that they would like to offer everything DRM free, yet the record labels, except for EMI and numerous independents who let Apple sell music DRM free, refuse to licence DRM free music to Apple.

I think the time has come for countries that want to let people play purchased content on any music / video device to say to the record labels that if you want to sell your music digitally in our country it must be DRM free, so that you can play your music on any device you choose.

Alternatively if the record labels still want to sell music with a DRM encoded in to the file then they should work with all the music player vendors to come up with a common DRM system so that your purchases can work on any player / PC.

Hopefully one day soon there will be a working solution to the DRM conundrum.

The Video That Started It All

This is a fantastic video of Boney M. performing Daddy Cool on Musikladen, a popular German TV music show in September 1976. This video started the success of Boney M. as once people saw this performance, Daddy Cool became a number 1 single in West Germany and the companion album Take The Heat Off Me also made number 1. whereas when the single and album came out originally in April of that year nothing happened chart wise. Then every discotheque in town wanted to have Boney M, thus ensuring everyone knew about Boney M. resulting in this TV appearance

What is really great about this video is the ad lib parts done by the Girls - it shows they really thought through the performance on stage, and when Bobby takes off his jacket that really helps add to the show! All in all it shows Boney M. had a fantastic stage presence and made great music.

MacBook

Just bought a new MacBook from the Apple Store in Southampton for £799. It has a really funky design, a great operating system - OS X 10.5 Leopard and is simple and easy to use.

Apple have done their homework with this one and produced a notebook that is good enough for serious work, yet light enough to carry around. I opted for a model with a 160GB hard drive, 2GB of Ram and a SuperDrive DVD ReWriter. The processor installed is an Intel Core 2 Duo running at 2.4Ghz - a much better one that on my Mac Mini. I am really pleased that I purchased this upgrade as it means that I am no longer using a slow Mac with only 512MB of RAM and a 60GB hard drive.

What I like about the design of this MacBook is the colour - white looks much nicer on my desk than a black laptop, and the fact that a Webcam and Microphone is built in to the laptop above the screen, which is great for chatting on Skype and iChat.

Also for safety Apple have included their Mag Safe power adaptor, which is a great feature as it means if for example someone treads on the power cord it comes away from the Mac and does not send it flying across the floor, thus getting damaged. Being a Mac also means that it comes with software installed that you will want to use, such as iTunes, iPhoto etc. rather than trial software that has no real use, and is just there to try and make what comes with the computer much better.

All in all if you are looking for a new laptop then one from the Mac family is a brilliant idea, and well worth spending money on.

Cycling 2

Read an interesting article on The News web site - http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/MP-steering-move-to-axe.4166215.jp
about the proposal from the Havant MP David Willets to create a cycle-way along the A3 around Butser Hill near Petersfield.

I fully support this proposal as it will make it easier to cycle south towards the Queen Elizabeth Country Park, a poplar beauty spot as well as towards Portsmouth etc. I think it is about time that this country got serious and put cycle-ways on roads where it is practical to do so to make it easier for cyclists to get around, and to encourage more people to cycle.

Having got back in to the swing of cycling recently I think that a very small minority of motorists need to be educated that it is not just them on the roads but cyclists too, that when passing a cyclist they should leave plenty of room and that during a passing manoeuvre they should not sound their horn as this could distract the cyclist from concentrating on the road.

Cycling

Recently I have taken up cycling again, as a way of keeping fit. A good friend recently gave m his old bike, to replace my old bike which was a good few years older than his, about 10 years I think. It's a bike by Alpine Stars and is nice and lightweight which makes cycling easier. I'm still getting used to having 7 more gears to play with.

Also I enjoy going on rides in the country side, which is really good where I live as there are plenty of country lanes to ride on, though with Petersfield surrounded by hills most of the lanes have up and down stretches! I hope that by the end of the summer going up hills will become easier, and that I will be able to do a good 30-40 miles per ride, currently I can manage 20 miles. I have been advised that when cycling I should not "stand up" on the bike as that uses more energy, however I have yet to test this theory.

What is good about Petersfield is that I live near a cycle path in to the town centre, which makes getting in to town a lot safer. I think it is about time that more cycle paths where built where possible in towns, cities and in between towns etc so that there is a safe way to cycle - I have noticed that when cycling, a minority of car drivers pass me in an unsafe manner as they do not allow enough room between themselves and me on the bike, which is not good, especially if an accident happened. Also I think some car drivers want to get cyclists too quickly, meaning that the overtake may be done on a dangerous stretch of road, perhaps just before a sharp bend etc., as they feel cyclists are an inconvenience on the roads, when in fact we have just as much right to be on the roads as car drivers.

I hope in later blog entries to let you know what is happening with my cycling.

Formula 1 back on the BBC

Great to see that Formula 1 will be returning to the BBC next year. Finally after 12 years no more annoying adverts during the races. Hopefully the BBC , unlike ITV, will always show qualifying live - it got annoying when ITV shoved qualifying on ITV 4 or delayed it to late at night.

Be really good if the BBC kept on some or all of the current commentators / presenters - Martin Brundle and Steve Rider are really good as are the rest of the team, and it would be shame to loose them.

Sky Picnic on Freeview

Been reading a lot on this new Picnic service that Sky would like to bring to Freeview. I hope that Sky is not allowed to start this service as it will spell trouble for Freeview, after all Freeview means free TV, and I don't think it is right for Sky to offer Pay TV on Freeview as that will lessen the choice available for subscribers. See this link for more information http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=765604
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New Funky Keyboard

Just bought myself a new Apple Wireless Keyboard, and I have to say it is one of the best computer keyboards I have ever used. It is very small and compact, and works over Bluetooth.


As you can see from the picture it looks more like a laptop keyboard, but unlike a laptop keyboard it has spacing between the keys so it can be used for fast typing, etc and also features an eject key, along with multimedia keys for iTunes, brightness keys for a monitor (tho these only work with an iMac) and keys for Dashboard and Expose

Apple have hit on to a winner with this keyboard, and I would recommend it to other Apple users. If you want a more traditional keyboard, with a full compliment of 105 keys, then Apple make a wired version of this keyboard. This keyboard also features 2 USB 2.0 ports on either side of the keyboard, and when the keyboard is plugged in to an iMac they can work at full power. All in all Apple have created yet another stunning peripheral for the Mac, that looks great on any desk.

3 Skypephone

Just bought a 3 Skypephone for my computer business, and it is a great little mobile phone.

The idea behind the 3 Skypephone is to have a mobile phone that can also be used to access Skype, thus giving free calls between Skype users and free Skype chats as well. Best of all, if a friend has Skype on their computer they can call your Skype account, and the call will reach you, whether you are on your Skypephone or your computer.

This phone also works as a standard mobile phone with calling, text and mobile internet, and can access a range of internet programs such as Windows Live Messenger, Facebook, YouTube, Yahoo! Search etc, thus making it great for checking e-mails etc when on the move. Being on the 3 network you also get the chance to watch TV on the mobile for a small fee each day, whilst the screen maybe small, this function is useful if you are in an office etc, and not near a TV.

All in all for £50 it is a great stylish and slim mobile, that looks great, and I would recommend one to anyone who uses Skype and mobile phones. Also the Skype software installed on this phone can be used on other compatible 3 network phones, such as the latest Sony Ericsson models etc, so if this phone does not suit there may well be a 3 one that does.

U3 - The Future of Portable Computing

Recently I purchased a new USB Flash Drive, and it came equipped with a new technology U3 installed on it. This is a fantastic tool as it enables me to run programs I have installed on the Flash Drive on other computers, without having to install software on the machine, for example the Firefox browser. Also I can run an anti-virus program when I connect the drive to a computer, and have the anti-virus program confirm that it is safe for me to use drive on the computer I am connecting to, safe in the knowledge that I won't get a virus on the drive, that I could by accident take to another computer.

I think in the future, drives like this will really take off. For example lets say you work in an office and you don't have your own desk, because the company you work for does not give an employee a specific desk, with a U3 enabled flash drive you can take your computer settings and use them on any machine, as well as have access to your contacts, e-mails etc all on the key.

Only downside is that this technology is only available at the moment for a Windows PC. It would be great if it worked on an Apple Mac or a Linux machine. Perhaps in the future someone will develop this technology so that it works no matter which operating system you use.

Environmental Action 1

Say it loud and proud

"I need everyone to know that I don't want to use a plastic bag"

WeAreWhatWeDo.org