James Patterson: 4th of July

I've read quite a few of James Patterson's novels recently, although most have been from the Alex Cross Series. This one was a pretty good read and was a clear demonstration of Patterson's ability to keep the reader turning page after page to see what happens next. If you are a fan of the plot twist, you should definitely get this book.

This one follows the trials of Lindsay Boxer as she tries to catch a serial killer who is tantalisingly leaving clues to his identity with each crime. She's getting closer and closer, until the plot takes a nasty twist and plunges the reader in to confusion. You might think you guessed, but you're probably wrong!

Brilliantly done.

A young man is found dead in a seedy hotel room; electrocuted in his bath with a toaster. This is the second electrocution murder Lindsay Boxer has come across and the message left in graffiti on the wall at the scene of the crime is the same: NOBODY CARES ANYMORE. What does it refer to? The one clue Lindsay and her partner Jacobi have is that a black Mercedes was spotted at the scene of both murders. But when they follow a car they think is connected, they get more than they bargained for. Full of the high suspense and fast-moving plotlines for which James Patterson is best known, this promises to be the most exciting Women's Murder Club case yet.

What're You Looking at, Wiseguy? (A review of The Godfather, PS2)

I really must get some control on my addictive personality: I just completed The Godfather after more than one extremely late night of, 'I'll just get this one mission done and then get to bed'.

My default position is that movie tie-ins are generally pretty poor and are generally a lazy marketing exercise that take advantage of a successful run at the box office.

This game is a refreshing exception to the rule though. I was bought it as a gift and thoroughly enjoyed it, actually. If you enjoyed the Grand Theft Auto series, you're likely to enjoy this. It's a little different in that it's set in a time when guys wore smart suits, hats and sharp shoes to murder and maim people as in the film trilogy (I have this too, but have not yet had time to watch these great movies again), but the gameplay is somewhat similar. There's a pretty huge gaming area, although not quite the vast landscape I'm currently encountering in Just Cause; it can take a while to get from place to place to carry out missions and so forth, although I'd argue that this adds to the realism rather than detracts from it.

A thoroughly entertaining diversion from reality in all, and well worth the few quid that you'll probably pay to buy it online in exchange for a considerable number of hours' entertainment.

"Respect me, respect the family"

AOL to sell film and TV downloads

AOL to sell film and TV downloads:

AOL secured deals with 20th Century Fox, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Universal Pictures, and Warner Bros. Financial details of the deals were not disclosed.

Good for AOL. The article goes on to say:

The new service, available via the AOL portal, will let users download selected titles for $9.99 for back catalogue and $19.99 for new released.

How much? Seriously? That's way too expensive, I might as well go buy the DVD and have extras and a nice box to keep my movie in.

Once purchased, the films can be watched an unlimited number of times, and are compatible with Windows Media Player technology. However, the movies cannot be burned onto DVDs.

Okay, I don't want to burn my movie to a DVD: I can watch it anytime I like, right? According to the AOL site, you download the movie to your hard disk and/or portable device (they let you do both for the price) and then you have 5-7 days to watch it. It's unclear whether or not I have to then pay again if I want to download it in 5 weeks' time. Oh, and you get to choose the quality of the movie but, seeing as it's intended for portable devices and PCs, I guess it's not going to be up to standard for my new plasma TV.

And even if it were, how would I play said movie on it? I can't burn the movie to a DVD and can't currently stream the movie to the TV from my PC.

R U B B I S H

I say to AOL: Innovate or leave well alone. Or at least explain your service fully.

Hollywood backs Blu-ray with 75 movie releases in Japan

Hollywood backs Blu-ray with 75 movie releases in Japan:

Studios such as Disney, Warner Bros, Fox and Sony, as well as many others plan to release movies such as Da Vinci Code and Pirates of the Carribean in what is looking to be a show of force backing the Blu-ray format.
With most of Hollywood on its side, plus a swag of big name electronics and computer companies, Blu-ray appears to have an edge in industry support, although with Microsoft and Toshiba firmly behind HD DVD nothing is cut and dried as to which format will win out.

So: who didn't see this coming? I mean really. Come on, hands up!

The cynic in me has to point out the obvious: Microsoft's XBox competing head to head with the PS3. They're not really going to support the same technology as Sony, are they?

A sequence of really nice articles on the HD-DVD / Blu-Ray war:
http://editorials.teamxbox.com/xbox/1496/The-Blue-Laser-Wars-Episode-I-HD-DVD/p1/
http://editorials.teamxbox.com/xbox/1504/The-Blue-Laser-Wars-Episode-II-Bluray-Disc/p1/

Microsoft gives further details of Live Drive

So, not unexpectedly, Microsoft join the online storage party too, huh?

Will someone just get something usable out there! Sheesh.

Netgear buy SkipJam

iTWire - Netgear to boost home networking with SkipJam buy:

Support for my perpetual media licence, watch on demand theory....

"extended range home network infrastructure solutions such as Netgear's RangeMax Next draft 802.11n wireless and 200 Mbps HD Powerline, streaming multiple HD quality videos simultaneously across the network is now a reality. SkipJam has the unique software technology to become the platform for us to build out our multimedia product portfolio and continue expanding worldwide in the growing category of digital home entertainment and control.'SkipJam's technology will form the basis of future Netgear multimedia products, including media centre, media players, and audio players."

Download Movies Direct

iTWire - Movie downloads to cut DVD retailers out:

It seems that the internet is about to do for movies what is has already down for music. In a historic first, Hollywood studios will allow consumers to download selected movies and burn them to DVD for purchase.

It was only a matter of time before movies took advantage of the web too.

I'm really pleased that Apple didn't get the deal - we have quite enough domination from giants like Apple, Google, Yahoo and Microsoft already.

I'm fairly confident that this will be shortlived. In 5 years I predict we'll be streaming movies rather than downloading them. We'll buy a non-expiring licence to watch some media on demand as many times as we like.

Imagine all those movies you wished you'd seen and never got around to, and now you can't be bothered to buy or rent on DVD. How many times have you missed an episode in the middle of a season of Lost or 24? Won't it be great to just decide to watch when you want to.

On the flip-side, there's HD. There's more data, it requires more bandwidth to stream. Which technology is going to lead, and which will follow?

The Hyperwords Firefox Extension

The Hyperwords Firefox Extension:
Awesome. Seriously. Awesome.

Originally searching for a blogging tool, I stumbled upon this on the Firefox extension pages. It has so much more.

Highlight a bit of text on a web page and then:
Plot a postcode/zip code/placename on a map
Search LinkedIn for a person
Search Google, or a number of other engines for the text
Search resources, IMDb
Blog it, automatically posts the highlighted text in the post and the url in the link field
Tag to del.icio.us or similar

Suggest that the user should be able to add further services on demand though, just like Firefox's nice search bar.

The Individual Revolution

Yesterday, I was privileged enough to enjoy 45 minutes listening to the future of marketing according to the vision of Richard Duvall, described as a revolutionary figure in the creation of 21st century business. With Prudential, he co-founded Egg and is now working his new project, Zopa.

I found Richard inspirational and his vision compelling of what he calls, the individual revolution.

He suggests that technology has created an environment in which the mass market culture is dying. For example: no longer are there a few TV or Radio channels to listen to, there are hundreds. Every individual has their own taste in music, and is able to fulfil that desire through podcasts or radio or a number of television channels.

The Internet has created a culture where every individual can express their own unique personality through the music they listen to, the fashion they create for themselves, the web sites they browse, the hobbies in which they indulge, the businesses they create.

Increasingly, people percieve themselves as individuals, not as consumers.

Seth Godin's work also supports this change in culture, proposing that the Internet is not a mass-marketing medium. It's not a replacement for television. It's just the opposite - it creates a fragmented, splintered culture where every individual, every business can satisfy their own unique needs and requirements. Small communities with common interests communicate through blogs, chat rooms and web sites and perhaps buy from stores specialising in the things in which they are interested.

The age of the individual has arrived.

I consider myself fortunate to work for a company whose strategy and approach reflects this unique culture, it's clients holding dear their individuality and recognising that, for them, it defines their business and more often than not, their competitive advantage.

If you get a chance to catch Richard speaking at an event - I'd recommend it!

Online Storage #2

Additional Links:
Elephantdrive - Unlimited storage for free. [So long as it's in beta]. No mention of what the cost might be for the released version though
Openomy - 1Gb limit

I wonder if/how Google Desktop might handle this technology?

Online Storage

A friend announced to me that he's using the Google GDrive. Having noted the promise of such technology in a recent RSS feed, I was keep to have a play, although was pretty sure that it had not been released as yet.
Following a Google search for said beast, the most interesting thing I discovered with was 25GB of free online storage at www.streamload.com.
I request an invitation to the GDrive service from my friend to establish just what this thing was: It turns out to be a neat idea, just not a Google product. Essentially, it uses your credentials to 'Email' files to your Google account and use the free storage therein. The neat part is that it creates a virtual drive on your PC to achieve this seamlessly.
I sincerely hope that when the Virtual Drive Wars really hot up between Microsoft and Google, they implement it in a similar, or better way.

Cool. Untested by this blogger, but cool!

Too much technology, too little time

Interesting observations on the impact of technology in the workplace and the work/life balance. It is very easy to get distracted from our objectives or even the quality time we should be spending with our families. On occasion, I'd have to plead guilty as charged on both counts.

We have 120 hours of waking time a week. These new technologies — the combination of BlackBerries, home computers and cellphones—expand the time that's available for you to be working, if you choose. What's curious, and perhaps even a little insidious, is that the traditional boundary of work is being expanded to maybe not 24 hours a day, but maybe 17 hours.

Original Article from the New York Times.

Just Cause

Another PS2 title that caught my eye in a recent magazine and appears to be one of those, 'can't quite put it a down and go to bed - it's 2am' games. Just my cup of tea then - following on from the sleep-depriving Grand Theft Auto series.

It boasts over 250,000 acres of mountains, jungles, beaches, cities and villages and is due for release 28 July 06 - I can't wait!

Yakuza - Coming Soon to PS2

This looks pretty good, I'll look forward to hours of play when it is released, due September 2006. The reviews thus far have been full of praise and the other in-game movies available on gamespot paint a pretty nice picture. Here's the trailer too.

Sky's the Limit

Man, those call centres are frustrating. I have absolutely no problem with a multicultural and multiracial society, or indeed a global economy. But do we really have to outsource call-centres where the staff don't have a strong enough understanding of the customers' language - come on guys, it's just not acceptable.

I have just spent the best part of an hour on the phone to Sky, trying to resolve an issue with my direct debit that they had caused. This has been going on for six months! It turns out that the reason for the problem, that I have finally been told [thank you, Chris, who spoke perfect English and was in their London call centre] is that you can not set up a direct debit for a joint account over the phone.

So the first 40 minutes were spent firstly getting nowhere with two operatives who's first language was not English who advised that I keep calling back 'until I get through to someone in the UK.' Really? After four attempts, step in Google search, which happily located the following.

Hallelujah

TELEPHONE CHEAT CODES FOR MAJOR COMPANIES

Company Phone number

PRESS <0> <#> IN QUICK SUCCESSION

Alliance & Leicester 0870 9011001
American Express 01273 576576
Bank of Scotland 0845 7213141
Barclays 0845 7555555
BUPA 0845 6090111
Capital One 0800 9525150
Comet 0870 542 5425
Dell 0870 152 4699
DHL 0870 1100300
DVLA 0870 240009
Egg 0845 1233233
Goldfish 0141 2049005
Halifax 0845 7203040
HSBC 0845 7404404
Lloyds TSB 0800 0969779
NatWest 0870 3331993
NHS Direct 0845 4647
O2 0870 2410202
PC World 0870 2420444
Royal Mail 0845 7740740
Sainsbury's Bank 0845 3055888
Sky 0870 2404040
Tesco 0845 6040409
3Mobile 07782 333333

DON'T PRESS ANYTHING
Carphone Warehouse 0870 111 7400
Onetel 0800 957 0523
P&O 08705 212121
Southern Electric 0845 7444555
Southern Water 0845 2720845
Virgin Holidays 0870 220 2707

ENTER WRONG MOBILE No 3 TIMES
Orange 450 from Orange mobile

PRESS <*> <0> EACH TIME YOUHEAR AUTOMATEDVOICE
BT 0800 800 150

PRESS <0> THREE TIMES SLOWLY
T-Mobile 0845 412 5000

As the Sky cheat really helped me out, it's only fair to post the link for more stuff

Life's Rich Tapestry

Life's Rich Tapestry...

A philosophy professor stood before his class and had some items in front of him.

When the class began, wordlessly he picked up a large empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks, rocks about 2" in diameter. He then asked the students if the jar was full?
They agreed that it was.

So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks. He then asked the students again if the jar was full.

They agreed that it was.

The students laughed as the professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

"Now," said the professor, "I want you to recognise that this is your life. The rocks are the important things - your family, your partner, your health,your children - things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, your car. The sand is everything else. The small stuff.
If you put the sand into the jar first, there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out dancing. There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, give a dinner party and fix the disposal."
"Take care of the rocks first - the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

But then...

A student then took the jar which the other students and the professor agreed was full, and proceeded to pour in a glass of beer. Of course the beer filled the remaining spaces within the jar making the jar
truly full.

The moral of this tale is:

That no matter how full your life is, there is always room for BEER.

Fresh Fish

See Basil's Egyptian diving holiday snaps. There are some really nice photographs here - well done Baz!. Personally, I just couldn't pluck up the courage to scuba at my last opportunity. Snorkelling was cool enough for me until someone announced the arrival of a stingray, and there was no way I was staying to enjoy that [those things sting].

[Smirnoff] Ice Age

My aprehension for the shenanigans that occurred on Saturday evening was well founded. A good time was had by most, although I think some enjoyed themselves far too much [you know who you are]. Spilled drinks quickly came and went, followed soon after by tantrums and leaving the party - and we hadn't even left the first pub!

A number of piggy backs later, far too many B52's, beer and Smirnoff Ice's and we've had a great time; rolling in at around 4am to polish off the pizza we left on our departure. It seems no-one fancied the planned drinking games after all.

The next morning revealed some monster hangovers and the birthday boy looking decidedly green around the gills. Personally, I'll only claim tiredness and neckache [damn Bohemian Rhapsody]

Roll on the next one.

Road Rage?

During my trip driving to the gym on Saturday, I managed to annoy another driver by changing lanes on a notorious roundabout. After the usual flash of headlights, I noticed the car follow my next turn. My slight concern grew when it followed my next move and grew further still when it followed in to the car park at the gym.

I travelled through one lane of parked vehicles, passing available spaces and still the car followed, intimidatingly. Eventually parking my car, the car stopped behind me and blocked my exit. Before I could see the occupier, he was at my window; I turned to wind down the electric window and as I did recognised an old school friend. "Hello mate!".

"You drive like a nutter!", he says. "Sure, like you've never done that before?". "Yeah, all the time. I thought I recognised you so I followed you to say hello. Nice car - you're obviously doing alright for yourself."

At this point a third car pulls up and as he's blocking the road, we exchange goodbyes and he leaves. I realise that I'm shaking with adrenaline in anticipation of a fight, or at least an argument and exchange of 'pleasantries'.

Will I learn to not cut people on that roundabout? Unlikely. And I'm sure I'm far from alone.

Universal Media Disc 'another Sony bomb'

From ZDNet

Benjamin Feingold, president of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, was a big believer in PSP as a movie-watching platform. He still is, even though he concedes that retail shelf space for UMD movies is on a sharp decline and his own studio is being "more selective" in choosing movies for UMD release.

Feingold believes the PSP's biggest drawback as a movie-watching device was the inability to connect the gadget to TV sets for big-screen viewing, "which would have made it more compelling," as well as the inclusion of memory stick capability.

"I think a lot of people are ripping content and sticking it onto the device rather than purchasing," he said.

But next week, Sony Computer Entertainment executives will begin making the rounds of the Hollywood studios to discuss plans for making the PSP able to connect to TV sets.

"We're hoping the format's going to be reinvigorated with next-generation capability that may include living-room or normal television playback," he said.

"Reinvigorating?" Boy, I know technology moves fast, but this thing's only been out a year!

[I guess they did come up with Betamax and did so well with Minidisc too]