David Glover Archive
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Wii would like to play
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Amazon UK "...sold out of reserve orders for Nintendo's new games console ... in just seven minutes. Amazon.co.uk said a rush of buyers for the Wii made it the site's fastest selling pre-order item."
Update 9:52 PM: This has really made the news!
I knew this would happen.They were supposed to start selling them at 9am - the plan was that I would get up, order one at 9, and then go to work.
So at 9:30am they're still not on sale. Disaster - I have to go to work! So, a very geeky solution. While Ed drives, I sit with my laptop living up to its name, connected to the internet through my mobile phone.
At 9:40, half way to work, the "Add to basket" button finally lights up! And after frantic clicking... I got one! Despite my internet connection not exactly being terribly fast or reliable, I obviously managed it in less than seven minutes. Sometimes being a geek pays off.
That's probably the first time I've ever bought something while actually in a moving car.
I am slightly concerned that I never received the promised e-mail from Amazon telling me that they were finally on sale - I wonder how many people missed out because they were waiting for the e-mail?
Update 9:52 PM: This has really made the news!
I knew this would happen.They were supposed to start selling them at 9am - the plan was that I would get up, order one at 9, and then go to work.
So at 9:30am they're still not on sale. Disaster - I have to go to work! So, a very geeky solution. While Ed drives, I sit with my laptop living up to its name, connected to the internet through my mobile phone.
At 9:40, half way to work, the "Add to basket" button finally lights up! And after frantic clicking... I got one! Despite my internet connection not exactly being terribly fast or reliable, I obviously managed it in less than seven minutes. Sometimes being a geek pays off.
That's probably the first time I've ever bought something while actually in a moving car.
I am slightly concerned that I never received the promised e-mail from Amazon telling me that they were finally on sale - I wonder how many people missed out because they were waiting for the e-mail?
Zune
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
So Microsoft has released it's Zune player. As an Apple fanboy, I am of course bound by law to criticize it and explain why it's so crap.
Perhaps surprisingly, this is going to be really easy.
Things the Zune doesn't have:
* Games
* Clock or stopwatch
* Password-protection
* Volume limiter
* Equalizer
* Calendar
* Address book
* Notes
OK, so, fair enough - it's a music player and not a PDA, but the iPod gets a lot of flak for lacking in features - and it does all of the above!
The "music sharing" feature that has been so heavily promoted turns out to completely suck. Music beamed to another Zune can only be played three times (even playing a tiny bit of a track counts as one "play"), and even then it will get wiped after three days even if you don't play it. This applies to all music, even that which might be freely distributable. No distinction is made.
The PC-side software seems to be pretty awful. You can't subscribe to podcasts, you can't use Windows Media Player, you can't play "PlaysForSure" music (haha, ironic), you have to have a "Live ID" and some kind of Zune account, and you may not even be able to get the damn thing installed! Oh, and it's not Mac compatible. It's not even world-compatible, for now, it's only available in the USA.
This is actually all quite annoying, even for me. All competition is good, I don't want Apple to get lazy.
And finally, the Zune's "slogan" (plastered all over the packaging and the web site) is: "Welcome to the social."
The social... what?! Someone tell Microsoft that "social" is an adjective, not a noun.
Update: I just learned that they're not compatible with Vista, either. Brilliant.
Update 2: The bad news just keeps coming. You can't use it as an external hard disk, and despite the long list of supported video formats on the box, all video is transcoded to WMV when copied to the Zune, which is in fact the only format video it supports. Blegh.
Perhaps surprisingly, this is going to be really easy.
Things the Zune doesn't have:
* Games
* Clock or stopwatch
* Password-protection
* Volume limiter
* Equalizer
* Calendar
* Address book
* Notes
OK, so, fair enough - it's a music player and not a PDA, but the iPod gets a lot of flak for lacking in features - and it does all of the above!
The "music sharing" feature that has been so heavily promoted turns out to completely suck. Music beamed to another Zune can only be played three times (even playing a tiny bit of a track counts as one "play"), and even then it will get wiped after three days even if you don't play it. This applies to all music, even that which might be freely distributable. No distinction is made.
The PC-side software seems to be pretty awful. You can't subscribe to podcasts, you can't use Windows Media Player, you can't play "PlaysForSure" music (haha, ironic), you have to have a "Live ID" and some kind of Zune account, and you may not even be able to get the damn thing installed! Oh, and it's not Mac compatible. It's not even world-compatible, for now, it's only available in the USA.
This is actually all quite annoying, even for me. All competition is good, I don't want Apple to get lazy.
And finally, the Zune's "slogan" (plastered all over the packaging and the web site) is: "Welcome to the social."
The social... what?! Someone tell Microsoft that "social" is an adjective, not a noun.
Update: I just learned that they're not compatible with Vista, either. Brilliant.
Update 2: The bad news just keeps coming. You can't use it as an external hard disk, and despite the long list of supported video formats on the box, all video is transcoded to WMV when copied to the Zune, which is in fact the only format video it supports. Blegh.
Labels: commentary, news, tech
Don't Vote
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Even though I'm not American, I took the test at dontvote.org. (The idea is that if you don't know who you're voting for, you shouldn't vote. I would perhaps change the "don't vote" to "find out!", but meh.) I scored 49.71%, getting an "F". (I should apparently consider moving to France. ;)
So consider this a baseline. If you take this test and are American, if you get less than 50% then you're dumber than a stupid Brit who doesn't even live there. ;)
So consider this a baseline. If you take this test and are American, if you get less than 50% then you're dumber than a stupid Brit who doesn't even live there. ;)
After five years
Monday, September 11, 2006
Number of American civilians killed on September 11, 2001, in the attack: ~3000
Number of documents directly and conclusively linking Saddam Hussain to Al Queda: 0
Number of American war dead in Iraq: ~2669
Number of civilian's killed in Iraq due to the military intervention: 41650 to 46530
Amount of money Halliburton has made off of no bid contracts: Over 10 billion dollars
Ring leader / chief architect of 9/11: Osama Bin Laden
Osama's location: Pakistan
US Ally: Pakistan
Number of US troops currently allowed in Pakistan: <1000
Number of US troops in Iraq: >100000
Number of documents directly and conclusively linking Saddam Hussain to Al Queda: 0
Number of American war dead in Iraq: ~2669
Number of civilian's killed in Iraq due to the military intervention: 41650 to 46530
Amount of money Halliburton has made off of no bid contracts: Over 10 billion dollars
Ring leader / chief architect of 9/11: Osama Bin Laden
Osama's location: Pakistan
US Ally: Pakistan
Number of US troops currently allowed in Pakistan: <1000
Number of US troops in Iraq: >100000
Labels: commentary, news
I am not a terrorist
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
But if you wear clothes with logos in Arabic, you will be asked to remove them before you're allowed to fly.
Therefore, this new t-shirt makes me gleeful:
It says "I am not a terrorist" in Arabic. I want one.
Therefore, this new t-shirt makes me gleeful:
It says "I am not a terrorist" in Arabic. I want one.
Labels: commentary, humour, news
My Very Elegant Mother Just Sat Upon...
Thursday, August 24, 2006
"Ninjas", perhaps?
Still, I approve of this change, Pluto is very different to all the
Planette woud have been funnier.
Labels: commentary, humour, news
Wolf!
Monday, August 14, 2006
"It should have been seen as one of the most catastrophic events in modern history. ... Funny thing, but the general public wasn't buying it. Thousands of ordinary folks posted their thoughts on Web forums set up by the BBC, The New York Times and other news outlets to monitor reaction. And that reaction was surprisingly mundane and cynical."
To which I add: Well duh.
The rest of that article from the Toronto Star is an interesting read, about crying wolf, mistreatment of the people arrested, and how the generic public at large was not fooled.
In the meantime, the terror barometer is dropping, and we're allowed to take bags onto planes again - though only small ones. (Because we're only worried about large bombs now, perhaps?)
So taking stuff onto a plane isn't dangerous after all! Quelle surprise.
To which I add: Well duh.
The rest of that article from the Toronto Star is an interesting read, about crying wolf, mistreatment of the people arrested, and how the generic public at large was not fooled.
In the meantime, the terror barometer is dropping, and we're allowed to take bags onto planes again - though only small ones. (Because we're only worried about large bombs now, perhaps?)
So taking stuff onto a plane isn't dangerous after all! Quelle surprise.
Labels: commentary, news
Smash
Saturday, August 12, 2006
You know what? This whole no-hand-luggage thing would only be half as bad if airlines actually took care of your checked luggage. Unfortunately, they don't.
I don't understand why this is so difficult! It's not even a rare thing, it's common for your suitcases to be dropped, kicked, damaged, and the contents smashed. Last time I travelled, they managed to tear some really quite tough plastic that reenforced the corner of my suitcase.
Why do we put up with this? In any other situation, it's criminal damage, but when you're flying, it just seems to be accepted! Why?! Do all airlines hire convicted vandals or what?
I don't understand why this is so difficult! It's not even a rare thing, it's common for your suitcases to be dropped, kicked, damaged, and the contents smashed. Last time I travelled, they managed to tear some really quite tough plastic that reenforced the corner of my suitcase.
Why do we put up with this? In any other situation, it's criminal damage, but when you're flying, it just seems to be accepted! Why?! Do all airlines hire convicted vandals or what?
Labels: commentary, news
From CNN:
The lawyer for two of the suspects rounded up in a possible plot to bring down as many as 10 trans-Atlantic flights on Saturday criticized their treatment at the hands of British police.
In an exclusive CNN interview, attorney Mudassar Irani listed a series of complaints, including the allegation that one of her clients had not received food and water for 26 hours.
The lawyer for two of the suspects rounded up in a possible plot to bring down as many as 10 trans-Atlantic flights on Saturday criticized their treatment at the hands of British police.
In an exclusive CNN interview, attorney Mudassar Irani listed a series of complaints, including the allegation that one of her clients had not received food and water for 26 hours.
Labels: commentary, news
Terra! Terra! Terra!
Friday, August 11, 2006
Terra! Terra! Terra!
The alleged U.K. terror plot has been investigated for months by British intelligence, and the idea that the airliner attacks were planned for today seems to be nothing more than political fabrication and media hysteria.
Tony Blair and George W. Bush even planned the terror freakout in a series of phone calls that began last Friday and continued through the weekend. Blair and Bush put the finishing touches on their diabolical operation in a phone call early Wednesday, the Associated Press revealed today.
That's right: While millions of travelers are going through absolute hell today because of the sudden terror "news," it was last week when the U.S. president and U.K. prime minister began their cold calculations on how to get the maximum political benefit from the months-old investigation.
See also: Wait, aren't you scared?
The alleged U.K. terror plot has been investigated for months by British intelligence, and the idea that the airliner attacks were planned for today seems to be nothing more than political fabrication and media hysteria.
Tony Blair and George W. Bush even planned the terror freakout in a series of phone calls that began last Friday and continued through the weekend. Blair and Bush put the finishing touches on their diabolical operation in a phone call early Wednesday, the Associated Press revealed today.
That's right: While millions of travelers are going through absolute hell today because of the sudden terror "news," it was last week when the U.S. president and U.K. prime minister began their cold calculations on how to get the maximum political benefit from the months-old investigation.
See also: Wait, aren't you scared?
Labels: commentary, news
Doubleplus ungood
Thursday, August 10, 2006
"The rocket bombs which fell daily on London were probably fired by the Government of Oceania itself, 'just to keep people frightened'."
- George Orwell, "1984".
So, I'm confused. Yesterday, John Reid gave this slightly scary speech about curbing freedom to help stop terrorists.
And today, we're all banned from taking anything at all onto a plane. (It's only temporary, remember.)
(Update 6:58PM: According to the Department for Transport, the no-hand-luggage restriction could become permanent! Don't you dare, DFT, that's going way, way too far. I'm not sitting on a plane for close to ten hours without music, something to read, games, or even earplugs or sleeping mask. Don't you fucking dare.)
But apparently it's a threat they've been "monitoring for months". So why are all airports affected?
The plot is foiled! Hurrah! So why are all liquids banned?
We already X-ray all hand luggage, walk through metal detectors, and even have our shoes chemically analysed. (Which happened to me when I travelled to Majorca recently.) Why is this suddenly not enough?
Why is a bomb in the hold any safer than a bomb in the cabin?
Who is going to compensate the people paying extra because their hand luggage pushed their checked luggage over the weight limit? (Yes, this is happening.)
George Orwell was only a few years out.
- George Orwell, "1984".
So, I'm confused. Yesterday, John Reid gave this slightly scary speech about curbing freedom to help stop terrorists.
And today, we're all banned from taking anything at all onto a plane. (It's only temporary, remember.)
(Update 6:58PM: According to the Department for Transport, the no-hand-luggage restriction could become permanent! Don't you dare, DFT, that's going way, way too far. I'm not sitting on a plane for close to ten hours without music, something to read, games, or even earplugs or sleeping mask. Don't you fucking dare.)
But apparently it's a threat they've been "monitoring for months". So why are all airports affected?
The plot is foiled! Hurrah! So why are all liquids banned?
We already X-ray all hand luggage, walk through metal detectors, and even have our shoes chemically analysed. (Which happened to me when I travelled to Majorca recently.) Why is this suddenly not enough?
Why is a bomb in the hold any safer than a bomb in the cabin?
Who is going to compensate the people paying extra because their hand luggage pushed their checked luggage over the weight limit? (Yes, this is happening.)
George Orwell was only a few years out.
Labels: commentary, news
So now we're not allowed to take liquids onto aircraft (Does that include my saliva? My blood, perhaps?), and, for the moment, we're not actually allowed to take anything onto aircraft, no hand luggage except essential drugs and your passport, in a clear plastic bag.
Hmm yes, if this is still around in January, it's going to make my nine-hour flight to the USA really fun.
I mean, Jesus Christ, how long does it take to have a quick scan through my rucksack and determine that my paperback book isn't, in fact, a bomb, but simply (gasp!)... a book! Pathetic. This is lazy, power-hungry policing at its absolute worst.
They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
- Benjamin Franklin.
Truer words have never been spoken.
Hmm yes, if this is still around in January, it's going to make my nine-hour flight to the USA really fun.
I mean, Jesus Christ, how long does it take to have a quick scan through my rucksack and determine that my paperback book isn't, in fact, a bomb, but simply (gasp!)... a book! Pathetic. This is lazy, power-hungry policing at its absolute worst.
They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
- Benjamin Franklin.
Truer words have never been spoken.
Labels: commentary, news
Your next goal will be arriving in...
Saturday, June 24, 2006
Hard Rock Hallelujah
Sunday, May 21, 2006
Petrol cartel
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Petrol prices are rising - so you'd think there would be an incentive for at least one company to shave a few pennies off the price of a litre to encourage more customers. But no, here are the ten cheapest filling stations near me.
It's a cartel, everywhere is exactly the same price. Scandalous.
It's a cartel, everywhere is exactly the same price. Scandalous.
Labels: commentary, news
