Burbaget

BC Transit violated free speech with ad ban...

2009-07-10T10:01:00.004-07:00

Interesting ruling...

We DO have a Charter of Rights and Freedoms, I know that.

Fundamental freedoms (section 2), namely freedom of conscience, freedom of religion, freedom of thought, freedom of belief, freedom of expression, freedom of the press and of other media of communication, freedom of peaceful assembly, and freedom of association.

HOWEVER... This is a weird one. We all have the right to say what we want... but is it our right to force people to listen to what we say?

I'm not sure.

Please ban this now!...

2009-07-09T10:47:00.004-07:00

This could only be cool to the ad wanks that actually created it.

Taking attention-seeking to a whole new level, rich media company EyeWonder on Wednesday debuted a new home page-takeover ad that appears to manipulate a surrounding Web page by shrinking, stretching, crumpling or otherwise animating a real-time screenshot of the page.

I can just hear the Account Manager at the ad agency table.
"This is so choice! People are gonna love it! Can we make it blink too? I'm so bloody proud of myself I'm gonna head to Shoreditch and get bladdered on Champers!"

... while the developers coding this until 3AM self loathingly shake their heads.

Cloudo

2009-07-08T10:34:00.001-07:00

An interesting Cloud Computing/Virtual Computer concept.

Chrome

2009-07-08T09:40:00.005-07:00

Google is releasing their own operating system. No surprise there. The more interesting thing will be to see what it does to the computing market in general.

My guess it they would release on netbooks, which may actually HELP Micro$oft by finally killing off XP. It would also take a number of years to mature (developers, software, applications, market share) so I don't think Apple will be filing chapter 11 anytime soon. They also have a loyal, bespoke user base.

This is meant to be a slim system,.. with a web based feel,... no bloated software. Sorry Adobe lol.

Most importantly, this could really diminish what little market share Linux has on the desktop. In terms of servers,.. should be interesting as a fast, sleek new Google server could be a game changer.

Should be interesting.

Happy 4th of July America

2009-07-04T13:51:00.000-07:00

This is a humourous note from an American abroad.

Happy birthday! Thanks for the cheeseburgers... and just about everything else.

We all pretend to be mad at you, but really, we mostly all love you and are often just a little jealous. Jealous because you get to have New York, Vegas, and Frisco, and invented pretty much everything we use.

X

Architecture Part 1 - Barcelona

2009-07-03T16:39:00.017-07:00

The last sunray - Barcelona
Originally uploaded by MorBCN.

I have an absolute fascination with modern architecture, particularly skyscrapers.

I might as well use this blog to relay to my 3 followers some of the buildings I adore around the world. I'll do a few posts dedicated to a few cities.

The city I live in, Vancouver has an epic skyline with a backdrop of green snow capped mountains as it's canvas. However there are no real stand out pieces of architecture to be found here (IMHO). The skyline here is a more homogenised glass motif. The city is a work of art as a whole, but it's parts are rather bland.

Some cities... conversely... can be a washed out mess, peppered with some absolute monumental buildings.

Barcelona Spain, is a dense mesh of buildings seemingly stacked upon each other. Yet throughout the city are some of the most unique buildings rising out of the chaos.

The modern Torre Agbar building. Organic colours flow up it's fungus like shape. In appearance, it is similar to Foster's "Gherkin" in London, but as you get near it, you realise it is a patchwork of colour. Every square Metre is unique in colour and texture.

Of course there is Gaudi's work, and most famously his Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família. Seriously, being inside (or just outside) this building is like being transported into a Tolken novel. Never has a building moved me into so much emotion.

Even Barcelona's transmission tower is epic. It stands poised over the city like one of HG Wells Tripods preparing to attack. That was intentionally cheesy.

All in all, there is something wondrous and amazing around every corner of Barcelona. Truly an amazing city. If you get a chance to go there, don't hesitate. The architecture is just a reflection of the vibrancy of this place.

An Ant Really Really Close Up...

2009-07-02T15:15:00.005-07:00

An amazing gigpan from an electron microscope.

The weirdest thing for me is,.. when you see an ant with the naked eye it, looks smooth in texture. I guess not.

In any case it is creepily awesome

Stuff About Moons

2009-06-30T09:57:00.008-07:00

The picture below is of Saturn's moon Enceladus. It was taken by the Cassini spacecraft now orbiting Saturn. The photo is published with a better explanation from it's source, Nasa's Astronomy Picture of the Day website. Amazing!

Speaking of the moon, our own moon, the new film to be released soon titled "Moon" looks to be quite good. I have always loved Sam Rockwell, and this script was written specifically for him. Nice to see him in a lead role as he is an amazing talent.

The film itself looks to be quite interesting...

Fresh Tiger Stripes on Saturn's Enceladus
Credit: Cassini Imaging Team, SSI, JPL, ESA, NASA

Healthcare

2009-06-28T10:23:00.000-07:00

Nice article debunking the myths of healthcare here.

I hope Americans some day come to grip with the fact that looking after the health of your citizens is not that evil. Unless of course you are profiting from it.

Another Beautiful Design From HTC

2009-06-26T13:15:00.010-07:00

Love the beautifully designed hardware. Love the look of the User Interface!

Something like this could be my next upgrade rather than an iPhone if it works as beautifully as it looks.

HTC seems to me like the kind of company that holds the concept of design dear, and it shows in their products. Very cool.

Symantec Endpoint...

2009-06-25T14:09:00.004-07:00

...Antivirus software is a perfect example of a bloated performance hog. It consumes about 800 mb on the disk, and when running cripples my virtual machine, which in turn cripples the host running it (OSX).

I would rather actually have virus than have to be hobbled by this POS software. It makes things feel like 1995. If my system was overwhelmed by spyware it would probably move faster.

Lotus notes was the last piece of software that felt like this to me. Having to wait a f**king minute for your email to open was pretty unacceptable in 2005. Why businesses use Notes, again... is a total mystery to me.

Leonard

2009-06-20T03:36:00.000-07:00

Tonight a young man followed us home with an iPhone blasting Leonard Cohen. He was no more than 20 and full of hope.That was pretty cool.

I have more faith in the next generation than I have in any other.

It's gonna be ok.

New Competition Might Breathe Life Into Canada's Lagging Mobile Phone Industry.

2009-06-19T11:12:00.008-07:00

Ahhh competition, the Invisible Hand!

Competition is always a good thing if you live in a Market Economy. We have none in the wireless arena in Canada.

I for one would be very tempted to even pay Roger's contract termination fee just to see the back side of them. They have not earned ANY loyalty with me with thier shamelessly over complicated pricing plans and outrageous contract terms.

Screw them. When you force consumers to pay up to 300 dollars WITH a THREE YEAR contract for an outdated phone that most other modern countries got for free 3 years ago (like the N95), you deserve to lose customers.

But then again, why shouldn't they behave like this? When the govt. basically allows a monopoly to emerge, why would a company act benevolently? Can't blame them I suppose.

Anyway,.. YAY... Bring it on.

Some Amazing T-Shirt Designs

2009-06-18T11:24:00.000-07:00

These just make me chuckle....

iPhone 3.0

2009-06-18T10:12:00.002-07:00

It's pretty cool, but I still can't sync notes. Why can't I sync notes? Why is it such a perverse logic puzzle?

I have no real problem with it but...

2009-06-17T13:07:00.002-07:00

If you have a cat allergy, or an aversion to dogs,.... don't bother flying Air Canada anymore.

I love animals, but call bad idea on this. Not everyone should be subjected to this if they don't want to.

hmmm

2009-06-13T17:38:00.000-07:00

Why doesn't Apple have an iPhone optimised website for their store?

Would make sense no? With one click purchasing?

Ok bye

YYC "free" public wi-fi

2009-06-07T21:26:00.008-07:00

So in Calgary Airport you get free public wi-fi. Pretty awesome except...

It only lasts for 15 minute sessions, AND... you have to sign up for an account by entering all your personal details. WHY?!

I reluctantly signed up and then got this message:

Ummmmm,... don't you need to be online in order to check your email? Like,.. why do things this way?

OMFG UPS STILL SUCKS!!!

2009-06-05T12:00:00.008-07:00

Yeah, I have bitched about it before,..

... but they still warrant this latest tirade. OMG, I am not kidding, they have not, and I don't suspect they will EVER get a delivery right for me.

If you read the above you will understand why I believe their incompetence is unparalleled in the shipping world. Conversely, Fedex, Puroletter, DHL have never messed up an order for me. Fedex in particular has had great, friendly, and helpful customer service every time I have dealt with them.

OK so what happened?
I ordered a printer through Airmiles as I had rewards with them. Of course, they use UPS. Harbinger of doom.

I wait, and wait, and wait. A month passes. I decide to check the tracking number online and see this:
04/06/2009 23:51 DEPARTURE SCAN
04/06/2009 5:20 THE RECEIVER IS NOT LISTED ON THE BUILDING DIRECTORY. UPS IS ATTEMPTING TO OBTAIN THE INFORMATION AND COMPLETE DELIVERY. / RETURNED TO SHIPPER

NO they did not attempt to obtain any information from me. Not a call, not anything! They just shipped it back. All they needed was to call me, and get my buzzer number.

Seriously WTF!?

I call ups. They say "oh looks like they sent it back".
I say, "OK so what do I do now"?
Ups says, "I don't know, just call the sender"

silence......

I hang up while muttering under clenched teeth, "I f**king hate UPS".

SO I called Airmiles. They (in direct contrast) apologised on behalf of UPS, gave me a file number, and said I could order again once it returned to their warehouse. The guy on the phone was knowledgeable and helpful. He explained exactly what to do. I thanked him gracefully.

I always avoid ordering anything if it's shipped by UPS. I just expect it to be late, smashed, opened, left in the garden in the rain, or just lost forever (all personal experiences).

In this case I had no choice, and it happened again. I mean, all you have to do is google "UPS sucks" for a potpourri of similar experiences.

Gay Penguins Adopt

2009-06-05T09:38:00.002-07:00

You have to read this, at least for the comments :)

At the end of it all, my opinion is that all an eggs really need are two loving parents.

So I'm going to Calgary this weekend.

2009-06-04T10:15:00.004-07:00

It's June. It's 30 degrees in Vancouver today. I leave for Calgary tomorrow. I check the forecast for Calgary and see this:

What in the Sam Hill?

2009-06-03T10:13:00.000-07:00

A little ramble about the xbox

2009-06-02T09:59:00.008-07:00

This is a somewhat meaningless post from someone who does not really play video games a lot, but likes to indulge once in a while.

I have to say that the xbox is a great product. It's easy to use, and the latest OS interface is really intuitive and attractive. This of course apart from the perplexing and meaningless avatar thing. Not sure what is going on there. It seems like a direct lift from the wii, but with no useful purpose. Marketing decision me thinks. Anyway I digress.

I have always been partial to systems that have integrated hardware and software. This is why I have used Macs made by Apple since the early 90's. The xbox OS, hardware, and accessories are all pretty much made by the same company, which means little configuration, and a tight user experience. It shows that Microsoft can really do things right with integrated hardware and software, just like Apple can. It also proves the point that although being less configurable and harder to hack, integrated hardware and software made by the same company,.... just works.

System updates are dead simple. You just plug in an ethernet cord and in detects the latest update, and applies it to the system. Simple and elegant.

Games and Movies look fantastic. The gaming experience is great, and the live portion of the system allows you to play online with other people in the etherworld. I don't really play multiplayer games, but it's still pretty amazing to be able to do that. The price point kills PS3. The wii, while fun,.. is just not for me.

(A Microsoft built hardware system running Windows 7 would be interesting if the xbox experience is anything to go by).

One criticism however is the the product line/ pricing structure. Clearly a result of Redmond's marketing department. It's completely perplexing.

For choice we started off with Core, then later the Arcade, Premium. Pro, Halo 3, and Elite models. What does that mean? Too many choices, too many confusing variables and meaningless titles. Clearly a result of a bunch of smug marketing wankers.

Microsoft really needs to clean this up. Just like with their other products, you need to research thoroughly just to isolate what you might want to buy, and even then you are somewhat unsure as to what you are getting. Why don't they just deliver an entry level, and a pro version, and keep all the ports and configurability features the same? The pro would have higher enclosed specs (like graphics cards etc.) than the entry level. Simple.

I myself bought a certain xbox version called "Premium". I discovered later that the hdmi port to connect to an hdtv was not included, where it was on other versions. Pretty annoying and not something that is very clear in the name "Premium Edition", which sounds full featured.

My 2 cents.

Is Wolfram|Alpha sure what to do with my input?

2009-05-22T10:56:00.001-07:00

Wolfram|Alpha isn't sure what to do with your input.

Star Trek

2009-05-18T23:38:00.000-07:00

All fellow trekers that have not seen the film, and are scared like I was:
It's going to be ok.

JJ, it was awesome.