Category Archives: Life Rants Updates

Shifted Media

My Helsinki flight – despite the turbulence – allowed me to catch up on some blog reading which I printed off before I left for the airport.

Tom, of plasticbag fame, had a brain dump at the weekend – writing unconnected thoughts to the page. One that caught my eye – because of it’s relationship to some of my thoughts – was regarding time shifted media.

As a topic, it’s nothing new (we discussed it ten years ago when I was at University looking at some of the social aspects of media consumption) but technology has moved us a great deal.

Ten years ago, time shifting was really not much more than the ability to video (or cassette record) programmes and watch/listen to them later. The Open University has, of course, been a prime user of this concept with dead-of-night programming being one of the backbones of the service.

Now, of course, all is changed. The BBC Radio Player allows you to catch up on programming regardless of location or time zone and you can see how it can have a huge impact on the lives of ex-pats who want to keep in touch via their favourite radio shows.

I have also written before of SkyPlus, a personal video recorder in the Tivo mould linked to the BskyB satellite service. Their current advertising campaign suggests the ability to create your own television channel packed full of only the programmes you want to watch. And it is true. Regardless of the number of times Channel Four or Living TV show Will and Grace, I’d rather watch it when I want to – which is why my machine has them in abundance.

There are downsides too. Phil Gyford has spoken of the excellent Channel Four comedy-drama, Teachers. I have been hooked since the first series but, for some reason, have not at home for much of the latest series. So my machine is over-loaded with hours of episodes. Now, rather than adding to the ability to manage my own time, each view of my SkyPlus planner reminds me how time poor I am and how I do not get the opportunity to absorb all the material I do want to watch.

Indeed, time-shifting has been an advantage to me – I watch much less dross now. But it also encourages me to record the worthy and adds to my feelings of frustration in a world that provides too much stimulation. I can’t decide what is worse.

On this day…

2008: Sunset Crane
2004: Aliens Eat London Commuters

Weather Project

image of the whole sunpeople in front of the weathe rproject exhibitionI visited one of my favourite areas of London earlier today, the Thames’ South Bank where I went to see Olafur Eliasson’s Weather Project at The Tate Modern. There’s half circle of the Sun made up of mono-frequency lamps – the kind which provide the orange glow to our streets at night. Running along the ceiling of the vast turbine hall is a mirror which gives the whole image the look of a whole circle, the sun. You can watch yourself in the mirror on the ceiling and many people do, indeed, lie on the floor looking up at themselves and the other ant-sized people. The lamps really restrict the amount of colour that you can see and that makes the whole atmosphere and experience quite eerie indeed. In fact, despite the orange glow it’s very grey.

picture of the turbine hall sign at the tate modernlong shot of the weather project exhibition, tate modern, londonI am not in a great one for museums and galleries but I really do like the Tate Modern and The Turbine Hall in particular. If you don’t know it, it’s a vast gallery space that once housed the turbines of the bankside power station. It’s huge and always seems to house interesting works – which is what attracts me back on a regular basis to see them.

On this day…

2004: Night Off

Another Rant on Phone and PDAs

Forbes has an interesting article on the pda/’phone combination I have been talking about recently. The article is basically saying that consumers need to be familiar with the tool so they can use it. Previous attempts to merge the two devices failed, it suggests, because often the ‘phone element was not good enough.

I think this is very clear reasoning indeed. The Treo 600 seems to come closest to that. My problem, however, is that I am looking for a small, powerful tool to do a number of items and, really, the market has not grasped this.

For starters, why am I looking to spend money on a new ‘phone and/or pda? My ‘phone is boxy but relatively new (although I, luckily, paid nothing for it). It’s a perfectly serviceable Nokia ‘phone with a built in camera that I occasionally use – primarily for images on my blog.

On this day…

2004: I Love Firework Displays

Continue reading

Brookside Closed

In an interview over on the official Brookside site, Phil Redmond said that

Overall it has done what I wanted it to do – especially this year – blending entertainment with the examination of contemporary social issues – but at times I admit it has had to bend with fashion and broadcaster demand.

brookside close street sign imageI watched some of last night’s episode. I haven’t watched it for a while but it did seem to have dated somewhat. I know soap opera worlds are dangerous places to be but I think that Brookside close must take the biscuit – I am so glad that I did not live anywhere near it!

Did it change the face of soap operas in the UK? It certainly was more contemporary than anything else when it started and it was very rooted in the real world – but I think it also aged very quickly. Still, sad to see it go and sad to see Jimmy Corkhill disappear from the television screens.

Media Guardian has a potted history of the soap if you are not familiar with it.

On this day…

2004: More Say About Trains Than Bush
2001: About Musak

Bye Bye Brookside

It’s been 21 years since Brookside first hit our screens and tonight it bows out for the final time in, what I imagine is, a little watched late-night slot on Channel 4. I wonder how many people will tune in? Clearly not enough people have been watching since Channel 4 moved it from it’s prime time slot but I wonder how many, like me, will dip in tonight to at least get some idea about what is going to happen. Will all the old scores be settled?

I was never really a big Brookside fan but I do recall, occasionally, following individual storylines. Gordon Collins was probably one of my first sights of a relatively normal gay person on television and, I imagine, that is true for a lot of people in their teens at the time.

I wonder what we’ll be saying about it in the next few years? Will it make a Crossroads style come back in ten years? Say farewell to Brookside Close! 

On this day…

2004: A Familiar City
2003: More PDA and Phone Nonsense

More PDA and Phone Nonsense

Well, after having said what I said about ‘phones and PDA units last week, the Treo 600 is getting some interesting, and quite good, reviews (archive). I guess that’s pretty good news for PalmOne, which has now acquired Handspring (makers of the Treo). I have always been a huge fan of the Palm for its simplicity but it must move forward to compete with the Windows handheld models.

On this day…

2004: A Familiar City
2003: Bye Bye Brookside

Halloween

Well, I bought some sweets from the local shops and waited for the trick-or-treaters. Despite the abundance of small children running around the neighbourhood in fright-masks and cloaks (and an alarmingly high number of mothers with push-chairs wearing big pointy witch-hats) nobody knocked. I am not sure if I am annoyed or relived. We had a guest tonight and so didn’t really want to be disturbed but not one knock. Perhaps I frighten the locals!

On this day…

No other posts on this day.

Effect Xmas

Recently I may have professed that I knew the difference between affect and effect and it is confirmed for me today online at Common Errors in English. I did not think that Xmas was a way of removing the Christ from Christmas but more of a lazy person’s way of avoiding writing letters. Turns out, I was wrong and the X is an abbreviation of the Greek for Christ [Source]. Just goes to show that I know nothing.

On this day…

2005: I Am In Oslo
2005: Audience Up
2004: links for 2004-10-27

Phones and PDAs

I have spent the last few days trying to decide if I should update my ‘phone with Orange and today I have decided against. I have been contemplating upgrading my phone to one of those ‘phones that is both PDA and ‘phone. I am hoping this would stop me carrying multiple devices around with me and, also, ensure that I was in sync across all the things I use to try and organise my life. Sadly, I have decided there isn’t a device for me.

The Orange SPV seems to get me a lot of the way but the ‘phone hasn’t had the greatest reviews and, to be honest, if I was going to pay that much money I think I would like either Bluetooth or a camera built it (apparently, the next version will have both of these things). It also features a MP3 player that will, of course, play WMA format. I won’t get started on music formats – I am sure there is a whole post there.

Now the Treo 600 also interests me. It is a combined PDA and phone and will be able to utilise most of the palm-related software that I have already installed and use on my trusty Palm Vx. The Real One Mobile that you could use on the Treo doesn’t play WMA files which means that I would have to re-encode most of my music and, as I am not that much of an audiophile, I’d rather have the disc space.

Now, neither of these devices does all I need or want and I am not going to spend that much money yet. My Nokia 7650 tries to sync contacts and a diary but doesn’t do it very well. I looked at the Sony Ericsson T610 but it doesn’t seem to be much of a leap on from the Nokia I have.

So, what’s my wish list? A Palm-powered device which is also a ‘phone and decent MP3 player. If I had the money it would also be Bluetooth and WiFi enabled. One day, somebody will make it, I’ll have the money and we’ll meet in a shop on Oxford Street.

Oh, and if you have tips on getting the Nokia 7650 to sync well (not just sync, but sync well) with the Outlook I use in the office, then please let me know.

On this day…

2004: links for 2004-10-26
2002: Go Out

Writer’s Block?

I really wanted to write something about motivation but I am not able to motivate myself to think about what’s buzzing around in my head. To be honest, I am beginning to think that my ability to compose sentences and string together words is leaving me. It’s not that I have any difficulty thinking about the things I would like to write here but I have difficulty actually writing it. My head is full of random thoughts but I am not managing to get them into anything coherent. Failing in this way is actually proving to be quite depressing to be honest.

I wanted to write about a post over at Strange Little Boy which talks about using a wireless connection in a public place – but I can’t get to the point of that one.

I also wanted to write about the development of online technologies and my personal frustrations seeing a lot of the technologies I am interested in being developed outside of the UK. Again, I am suffering some kind of block.

So, I am off to meet a friend for pizza this evening. This will allow me to clear my mind with friend-pizza-eating-trivia and, also, to avoid the television which, after last night’s Dawson’s marathon, will be no bad thing for my brain. Perhaps I shall welcome tomorrow with a clearer mind.

On this day…

2003: Today On The Creek
2002: Hope I Haven't Missed Your Birthday