Monthly Archives: February 2008

Technology

Google Earth Virtual World…

Whenever I talk to someone about Virtual Worlds, something that happens far too often because of some experiences I had last year, they ask when Google is going to launch a virtual world.

Then the question moves to, is Google Earth a virtual world in the making? I think no simply because it’s not very good when you get to the human scale. If we all wandered around it like Godzilla it could work!!!

Anyway, everyone’s been expecting a Google virtual world and here it is…

Google Earth Hacks blog » Google Earth MMO coming soon – want to beta test it?

Nope it’s no what I was expecting either (it’s not even done by Google) but a fantastic effort all the same.

Products

MacBook Air…

“The key to understanding the appeal of the Air is that you’ve got to stop thinking about technical specs as the primary factors. Here’s an analogy: the MacBook Air is like a sporty convertible coupe. You buy one not for practical reasons, but because it is satisfying to own something beautiful and clever and fun.”

Daring Fireball: The Appeal of the MacBook Air

If John’s right, and he normally is, this really is the end of the old hardware business.

The “you can have any color as long as it is beige” period of development is over. So is the market to split like the car market.

We can have the MiniVan PCs, the sports PCs, the executive PCs, the hummer PCs, the city PCs and they’ll all be built on the same basic chassis and only rarely will anyone look under at the moving parts under the hood.

Products

Plustek OpticFilm 7300 Film Scanner

Anyone have any experience with one of these…

Plustek OpticFilm 7300 Film Scanner

This high resolution film scanner now comes with enhanced Multi-Sampling and Multi-Exposure for better quality images…

The Plustek OpticFilm 7300 is a dedicated 7200 dpi film scanner, now bringing you a more powerful scanning device with its added Multi-Exposure for negative film and also the Multi-Sampling functions bringing out the best quality on photos and images at the most affordable price.

Plustek OpticFilm 7300 bundles the latest LaserSoft Imaging’s SilverFast 6.5 SEPlus (MultiExposure) software. The SilverFast 6.5 SEPlus (MultiExposure) software enhanced with powerful Multi-Exposure, Automatic Frame Detection, , SilverFast-Basic, NegaFix, Selective Colour Correction, Auto Adjust, USM, plus many many more. (For more information, please visit www.SilverFast.com)

Specification:

* Interface: USB 2.0
* Technology: Colour CCD image sensor
* Hardware Resolution: 7200 x 7200 dpi
* Dmax: 3.5
* Max. scanning area: 36.8 x 25.4 mm (1.45 “x 1″) for Negatives
* Preview Speed: 6.25 sec (positive film), 8.72 sec (negative film) without calibration
* Scan Speed: Approx. 87 sec (3600 dpi), 226 sec (7200 dpi) for colour slide
* Hardware Multi-Exposure on negative film: Yes
* Multi-Sampling: Yes
* Colour Depth: 48 bit/pixel
* Scan Mode: Single Pass
* Lamp: Cold Cathode
* Illuminated Slide Viewer Size: 38x38mm
* Dimensions(D x W x H) : 272 x 120 x 119 mm / 4.73″x10.7″x4.7″(scanner only)
* Net Weight: Approx. 1.5 kg / 3.1 lb (scanner only)
* Film Holder: Mounted slides, up to 4 slides
* Filmstrip: up to 6 frames
* Regulatory Certificates: CE, FCC, UL/cUL, TUV, BSMI
* Comes complete with :
* Padded Carry Bag
* Negative and Positive film holder
* Plustek Setup/Application CD-ROM SilverFast CD-ROM
* Quickguide
* USB cable – 150cm (59.05”)
* Power Adaptor: Output 15V, 1.0A

System Requirements:

* IBM Compatible PC, with Pentium III or faster CPU
* CD-ROM Drive
* One available USB Port
* 512 MB RAM
* 500 MB free HDD space
* High Colour graphic card (VGA or higher)
* Microsoft Windows 2000 / XP / Vista Compatible
* **** Please note this is minimum requirement only. It is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED to use a higher performance computer.

OLPC

OLPC admin is non-obvious…

So I’ve had the OLPC for a couple of weeks. I love it but there is something worrying me at the back of my mind. Last night as the latest 180Mb of bug fixes for the MacBook arrived it hit me.

There is no way for the OLPC to be low maintenance.

Let me explain. Apparently, there is a firmware update but I’m unsure which one and how to apply it. I’m sure that the response is on the Wiki but it’s not clear where I should look.

I’ve updated to build 656 of the OS (I think) but that took a couple of hours of hunting and understanding.  Once I’d found it and understood it was easy but it took a while. I’ve a friend in the US and he needs to update for his wi-fi connection to work. I can’t say to him launch the OLPC and press button X.

All this reminds me a bit of my Windows PC at home. I spend hours working (after all it’s work) on the PC ensuring that it works, is backed up, and up-to-date.

The OLPC misses an idiot option; not because its users are idiots but because not everyone has the time to invest in keeping up to date.

I know that the response from the project will be that this isn’t intended to be a consumer product. They’re right. However, not ever user in the field is going to have the time either from day one. I think there is a possibility that you’re making the learning curve too steep.

All this said. I love my OLPC (or is it my daughters?)

IT, Technology, UK, US

The future of Amazon…

Nicolas Carr makes a series of good points…

“Amazon isn’t about to close down its physical warehouses, of course. But its digital warehouses could eventually become the center of its business. That may be good news from a financial perspective. Amazon has invested a great deal of money and ingenuity into fine-tuning its physical logistics operation, and that operation has given it an edge in online retailing, but the cost of storing, handling, and shipping physical goods has always been a drag on its profitability. That cost largely disappears when customers buy products as bits rather than atoms.”

Rough Type: Nicholas Carr’s Blog: Amazon’s river of bits

How about another plan? Amazon could spin off the logistics business. Remember, they have non-Amazon clients on their books. Once they reach a critical mass they could spin off the physical business and concentrate on the bits and bytes.

This also raises the possibility that the logistics business could be worth far more to FedEx, UPS and the others than as a seperate company.

LeWeb3, Technology, US

TED

Enrollment for TED 2009 is open.

TED

It’s quite humbling; I’m willing to spend 10% of my annual salary to go but the only person I ever spoken to who’s been is Loic Le Meur and that was to complain that David Weinberger had missed his speaking slot at LeWeb3.

I wonder is there is a way to buy references on eBay???

Politics

Competitive advantage…

I’ve bored most people that I know about this by now. If I haven’t, let John Robb do it for me…

“If we think in terms of how rewards/resources are allocated if the global economy operates as a single entity and not many loosely joined parts… then the vast majority of US workers will soon find their wages/salaries normalized to global standards (to those with similar skills etc.). The result will be that the US, as collection of citizens will get poorer (or at best tread water until everyone else keeps up)”.

John Robb’s Weblog: Differentiation and competitive advantage

This is the biggest political challenge of our time. Until everyone is on the same level playing field (and has earnings directly related to their skills and not their birth place, inheritance, color or sex) those of us in the developed world are going to feel the heat.

However, I don’t personally know why we shouldn’t feel the heat. Morally, how can I say that I should be protected because of my place of birth etc.? We’re all human and all deserve the same chance.

Podcasting, Technology, US

Programming when it isn’t needed…

1 Comment

I was interested by this…

Scripting the iPod (Scripting News)

Dave is looking for a script to move a podcast into iTunes and then put it in a playlist.

WHY?

There is a far easier way to get the this functionality. Subscribe the the podcast in iTunes, then create a playlist that only shows podcasts that have a play count of zero. You’re done!

The result is all the unlisted to podcasts in a single playlist and they’ll disappear when you’ve listen to them.

I must be missing something. Or it could be another case of this… YouTube – Wilkinson & Winer

Products, Technology

Management vs. Design

“I think a lot of these MBA-type executives have no idea what good design really is.”

 Daring Fireball Linked List: February 2008

 

Actually, I know that they know what god design is and can even recognize it when they see it.  However, the reflex responses of “that’s cool” and “that feels good” have been beaten out of them. The standard management approach to most issues is a functional list, a fit analysis and a market report. Watching the response to the iPhone in corporate world has been an education. I’ve seen tens of conversations that go…

 “..but it’s not 3G”

“yeah, but it’s works…”

“…but it doesn’t connect to our email”

“yeah, but its just better”

 

Normally, both parties leave the room shaking their heads.The difference between the ones that “get it” and those that don’t? Those that get it have experience!