b r a v e c r e a t u r e s

Ok. I an coming to recognize I have an addiction.

Yes folks, you read it here. I am admitting it oir the world to read - or at least the 4 people and 87 bots that read my blog with any regularity (yes I know who you are). I am addicted to iTunes, specifically the purchase of TV and Movies.

There was a snaffu* with my US credit card on the weekend and as a result I was declined the rental of "Clone Wars"** until I sorted it out. I felt I'll, I had the shakes, I couldn't focus. Classic cold turkey.

Tragic really.

You would think I could come up with something more interesting, wouldn't you.

K, T and E, my directors from film school would tell me that this is likely to be the cinematic gods protecting my pschy from a heinous travestey, but I would beg to disagree. I was permitted to rent (ok purchase) the recent Brendan Fraser (not aging well) "Journey to the Centre of the Earth" - no argument.

This is a film of epic predictability and shakey digital effects which stays in the memory only because of a glancing connection to a Science Fiction and literary classic. While I wasn't actually scarred by watching it, I was cushioned by a mildly dazing hang over, pizza and a could of "glasses" of spicey Italian Pinot Gris.

I did also place myself immediately under** a doctors care, which really helped.

*Namely I didn't pay the bill on time

**Technically it was actually over rather than under, but same same

Random piece of news trivia this.

Blizzard released an expansion pack for World of Warcraft late last week - which would explain why my development and infrastructure teams areshy about 75%of their staff Friday last week through to tomorrow. I didnt correlate it until I saw the release annoucement this morning.

This means that it is quite possible that, at this very moment, somewhere in an imaginary forrest, someone who is responsible for getting my projects virtual servers online is* doing battle as a blue skined, white eyed, melony breasted elvish mage with unimaginable evil.

Or something.

okay then - extending my projects timeline a couple of days for "battle damage".

*I am making this up, I dont actually thing that any of my team are blue skined, white eyed, melony breasted elvish mages**

** Dwarves maybe***

***seriously thought, I am making this all up. They are a very hardworking bunch of people and would never frivilously take time off for something like this.

Around 10 years ago, Steve Jobs returned from the wilderness, regained the helm cf Apple Computers, prising it from the cold, near dead fingers of the evil, careless regencies of Gil Amelio and "Prince John" Sculley.

In a fit of typical, and fairly predictable, Jobsian peak he ran through Apple cancelling programs and product lines left and right. In most cases he was absolutely correct. Apple was over extended, with way too many product variants. It had strayed far from it's base as the alternate to the beige boxed rampaging normalcy of windows. Jobs return was the start of a substantial shift by the Cupertino based computer maker, and with the inclusion of Jonathan Ive as the head of design a legend was (re) born.

I may not have the personal credentials to be able to judge Jobs but as I sit here in a cafe writing this on my Apple Newton 2000 I have to wonder if that at least one product line that he killed a little too quickly.

Granted it's a little boxy, and not THAT much lighter than my Macbook Pro, but there is something very satisfying writing this by hand. As l watch it transform my really very messy handwriting into its quirky digital ink, with a remarkable level of accuracy, it strikes me that given most  people have trouble reading my handwriting, this 10 year old doohickey is doing a bang up job.

For the last few days I have been battling with what, in Newton circles, is referred to as the  "Bootstrap" problem - namely needing to have something installed on the Newton before you are able to install any thing, synchronise or get any thing off. Lets face it, a Newton unconnected is, quite frankly, an curiosity not a usable tool so this was an important battle to win .

Last night, after a few days research and a purchase or two of connecting hardware things suddenly took a very Mac like turn-namely it all just worked. So now l sit cafes, writing my blog and getting somewhat puzzled looks from people and loving the experience of actually writing.

Anyone who has owned a Newton, loved it. Aficionados are constantly talking up rumours that Apple might be about to reintroduce the product, and I have to admit that I am very hopeful. But even if they do not do so, I will keep my old greeny black box because using it is a remarkably beautiful and nontechnical experience. I love it.

Apparently Billy Joel, arguably one of the worlds least attractive homonids, is about to release a new dance track, and it will be available on the much touted date of 20 Feb via iTunes.

And he is singing the US National Anthem at the Superbowl on Sunday 4th Feb - the very same Superbowl that Apple is (apparently) launching another of their FAAAAMOUR Ads.

Huh ha ha HAA!

Coincidence? I think not.

But Please GOD dont let there be a Billy Joel iPod - Beatles I could come at, but not the piano man. As Jobs continues to foist onto us both a hard DRM licence AND his appallingly hippy 60's musical taste, thats about all it would take to push me over the edge.

Hot of the heals of my recent post regarding the sad unexpected tragic departure of the product manager responsable for the weird dumb ugly music player offering from Microsoft - the Zune is a titter through the rumor sites suggesting that Microsoft if continuing to desperately pursue the iPod by planning to launch a Zune Phone by the end of this year.

Good luck Goldilocks is what I say to that.

Given the woeful effort to date from Microsoft on Windows Mobile Phones and the Zune itself, combining the two would seem like a recipe for a camel, i.e. a racehorse designed by a committee that does everything, but actually fulfilling no-ones needs.

The iPhone Jobsian aura that flashed out world wide from its epicentre at the Moscone Center on January, filling the blogosphee with more news and comment about the iPhone than about the State of the Union address (apparently), is finally subsiding and people are getting their perspective back at last†. And as we do, in the distance you can hear the sound of the pocket protector brigade in Seattle puffing and panting as they try and catch up with mountain bike fit Jobs and his team in Cupertino.

Personally I suspect that a Zune phone will be as appealing as losing ones virginity in a cement mixer to and angry swarm of bees

But I could be wrong. Bees are apparently quite sensitive lovers.

†Yes the iPhone is shiny, and YES I want one too, but 5 hours battery life? HEE-LOOOO!!

I think it would be fair to say that I have been less than particularly enthusiastic about the Zune, Microsoft's foray into the music player market.

Touted as the iPod killer its numerous flaws, not to mention its tasteless brown colour, have rapidly earned39;t it an America wide yawn - and only in America because the music marketplace it works with isn't available elsewhere yet.

Just to recap its failings

1. The Zune is incompatible with Windows Media Player, you can only use the Zune software (because we needed ANOTHER music player)
2. Only works with specific versions of Windows, not Mac OS X or Linux.
3. The supporting software won't install on many computers running Windows XP
4. and is rumoured to not be compatible with Windows Vista
5. The Zune can't be used as an external storage device
6. Wont accept or play TV shows recorded using Windows Media Center's digital video recorder
7. It only speaks English
8. The Zune Marketplace only accepts Microsoft Credits, not real money

I suggested a while ago that I would really have likes to be in the meetings where they were defining the thing, and to meet the product manager crazy brave enough to enter a battle of marketing wit with Steve Jobs apparently almost completely unarmed. Clearly some other people at MS have stopped drinking the cool aid long enough to think some of the same things.

Today its been reported that Bryan Lee, corporate vice president at Microsoft's entertainment and devices division, is going to be moving on to "pursue his own interests". I have a mental picture of all the Microsoft employees out in the car park will Bill shouting - " WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS PIECE OF SITH" and every one stepping back to leave Bryan standing there. Trapped like a geek in headlights.

Shame.

I joked in the last few days, since the arrival of the Birthday Wii, that I was going to be seen jumping around my living room, semi-naked at 4 in the morning playing games, sweating my arse off. It turned out to be reasonably true, although I did limit it to 10pm.

Maybe 11.

Only once was it midnight.

Anyway, the games do REALLY require you to get up and wave yourself around a bit - and its a combination of the wii-mote and the immersive nature of the game play. And it feels physical, which is fun in and of itself. This from a man who works out 5 days a week is not entirely unexpected but what was unexpected is apparently it CAN have an effect on your weight.

YAY, more calories burnt!! 

I thought this would happen, I just didn't think it would happen so FAST - someone has already done a study on the effect of Wii-gaming on weight and the results are in, limited as the trial set was.

Apparently Mickey DeLorenzo, a 25-year-old living in Philadelphia, began a "Wii Sports Experiment" in early December last year, pledging to spend 30 minutes a day over six weeks playing Wii sports. He also intended to keep his other activities and eating habits constant.

On Monday this week when the six weeks were over DeLorenzo, who while not my type is kind of cute for a gamer, updated his website, wiinintendo.net, with a detailed analysis of his experiment, which was positive and surprising. Apparently he dropped around lbs (4kgs and around 2% of his starting body weight of 82lbs) and went from being in the 'acceptable' category to being in the 'fitness' category".

While only a single sample, I can see (some) Universities tripping over themselves to put together a broader and more controlled trial. And if they are smart, Nintendo will sponsor it.

Maybe at last my some what geeky gamer persona can come out of the shadows and join the sportier side of me. Perhaps now I will not need to hide my over developed thumb muscles or dismiss them as the result of over indulgence in self abuse (I have a tight grip). Perhaps now gamers of all stripes will  stand up and be healthy and strong. Although we may need to get sunray lamps built into flat screens so they can tan at the same time.

Hey - THERES a good idea. 

With some irony considering my previous post from 6 am this morning, guess what arrived today.

My Christmas present from Mr Special, after a little drama with store.

Because there were none in stock when Mr S went to buy it, and because he was sure (correctly) it was a great gift for me he give me a gift card from Myer - who have NO idea about customer service.

After calling almost every day to see if its was in; cause they wont take pre-orders and wont call you to let you know they are in stock; dropping in on the weekend and generally being a (charming) pest, they finally called me today to let me know they had stock - would I like to come down.

So I did.

And on my Birthday too. Bless. Things are looking up for this year.

Given that its a STINKING HOT DAY here in Melbourne, you know that I am now going to be up until 3 in the morning playing Zelda, naked in my living room, don't you.