The Avengers was always a weird combination.

• Captain America – possibly the greatest soldier ever living, but ultimately still just a man in a funny suit
• Hawkeye – possibly the world’s best archer, but ultimately still just a man in a funny suit
• Black Widow – possibly the world’s greatest spy, but ultimately a woman in a funny suit
• The Hulk – one of the foremost minds on radiation science that turns into an enormous, invulnerable, superstrong rage beast
• Iron Man – one of the worlds smartest scientist/engineers wearing a suit of armour that grants flight, super strength, armour and energy blasts
• Thor – an alien god, with super strength and a massive hammer that allows him to fly and call down lightning

Just an observation.

Anyway – its action packed, sentimental, hilariously funny and a damn good romp through Marvel’s history. Go see it.

I’ve been covering ‘food’ a lot while on honeymoon. Mostly because we’re gluttons who love their food.

Anyway, this time around it’s the height of German cuisine.

The dish ‘pommes’ consist of half a chip and a currywurst sliced up and drowned in spicy BBQ sauce and topped with a generous sprinkling of curry powder.

OMG Taste explosion! Don’t let the pictures put you off!

Last night a small group of blokes descended on Belfast to watch The Dark Knight, latest in a long line of Batman movies. Before I get into any specifics which the reader may want to skip – let me just say – that movie is LONG. I expected the credits to roll a couple of times!

The Dark Knight lacks the style of Batman Begins. It’s action packed to be sure but there’s much too much of it and not enough acting and dialogue. The only person who actually gets to do any acting is Heath Ledger and maybe that was a decision made on the cutting room floor; considering this was the actor’s last film it would seem they took the opportunity to give him the stage. Batman Begins was a character piece. The Dark Knight is a lot of explosions and fighting.

It’s not like the film wasn’t filled with critically acclaimed acting stalwarts. In comparison, Bale, Gyllenhaal, Caine, Freeman, Oldman, Eckhart just sit in the background and mumble words. In that sense I found the film to be disappointing in the cold light of day. There just wasn’t much acting.

The plot. Ehhhhhhh. It was relatively faithful to what I see as the first Joker story. The Joker striking out at wealthy important people but I dislike this notion that he’s a lackey for ‘real criminals’.

On the other hand, Batman was WAYYYYY too cosy with the police this time around. At the end of the day, Batman is a criminal. And it bodes well that he’s not being invited to fundraisers and the like.

Ledger’s Joker was insane, yes, but it was comic book insane. Where Jack Nicholson’s portrayal of the Joker was camp and out of place, Ledger’s performance was a modern retelling. Neither, to be honest, was to my taste though the latest incarnation is closer to what I see as correct. The creation and death of Two Face was really weak and if it had been cut from the movie, I think that it would have been better for it. And the Joker coming back for two encores? Man, I got bored quickly. At least this time the Joker survives and I would hope that Nolan sees sense and writes a good movie into the third. I’d like to see a third movie concentrating on the increased in costumed crazies (Killer Moth, Black Spider) with a major villain coming out of the woodwork – my personal favourites would be the Riddler (again, not the camp Jim Carrey version but the version I remember: sure, he uses puns but he’s also sensible enough to bring a gun to a knife-fight) or Clayface (returning to being a guy with a disguise – lots of opportunity for ‘Mission Impossible’ style masks). I’d also like both of them to escape. I’d like to see an end to stupid villains like The Penguin, frankly. We’re also unlikely to see some of his more ‘superpowered’ enemies like Man-Bat or Killer Croc. On that note it was nice to see Cillian Murphy reprise his role as the Scarecrow. If the Nolans want to come talk about my idea for the third film, they’re welcome.

The longer I dwell on the movie, the more I am convinced that it’s success hinges solely on Heath Ledger’s untimely demise. If he had not died, this would be recognised for what it is: a sequel.

On that, The Joker’s ‘disappearing pen’ trick still gives me the giggles.

As I mentioned before, I think WordPress for iPhone really misses the mark. It doesn’t really add anything to the existing apps that are out there – look at iPhoneSlide which I’ve used a couple of times. It has much the same capabilities and works straight from your email client (and because it uses email, is available from within the Camera application on iPhone without having to take a picture, then switch apps. It also doesn’t have that nasty picture-attachment bug which causes crashing and means your post has to be recovered every time. In my opinion, this release from WordPress was not ‘rushed’ so much as it just needs a rethink about what features they were intending to put in.

I’d like to see an interface for comment moderation and replies. I mean, some of the web based mobile interfaces allow this. The software as-is is a posting machine. It needs to be a conversation machine. This part of it is completely missing and that’s somewhat inexcusable.

I’d like the ability to place an image (even just as an icon placeholder), center it if necessary and allow the user to place some text underneath the image. At this point it does no better than the email services as it just adds the content as an attachment at the bottom.

The app is now relegated to my back screens for “software I likely won’t use much” until there’s a significant update. The next step is simply removal.

Earlier this week I promised a bake-off between the HTC Touch Diamond and the iPhone 3G but I’m sorry to say that I’m going to have to cry defeat.

The Diamond is a lovely piece of hardware. It’s a ‘candy bar’ phone, very compact, sold-feeling, well put-together and with a gorgeous high resolution screen.

The TouchFLO software is very nice. It’s beautiful. It’s high-contrast, it’s touch-enhanced and the text ad email reading applications really make use of the screen. Others had said it was slow but the version we had was quite fluid. It was later that things bogged down.

It becomes apparent that the TouchFLO interface is just a veneer on the Windows Mobile software below which, if it had some sort of consistency wouldn’t be so bad.

HerIndoors was getting rid of her First Generation iPhone and getting into a Diamond because she wanted the best phone and it’s certainly the best looking phone out there. Phones, much like shoes and bags, are a fashion accessory. But after using it for 24 hours, she tearfully admitted that she hated it and wanted to go back to using the iPhone. Her reasons:

• So slow when launching applications.
• Not pretty once you get past TouchFLO
• It needed the stylus because the menus were so small.
• You needed to read a manual to use it.

Some things worked really well. As I mentioned, TouchFLO is really nice. And the camera in the Diamond really is very good, providing decent enough resolution, great autofocus and, in the end, some pretty great shots.

Muddling through and using MarkSpace’s MissingSync software we managed to get contacts and photos synchronised (though Music was a problem) and she set about using it. The browser in TouchFLO is not as fast and responsible as MobileSafari so that when you’re actually using the device, sure, it’s a 3G phone and downloading the information fine, but it’s too slow to navigate around.

Setting the date and time as well was a chore. Scrolling through a huge list to get to the United Kingdom just got us to another list. And if your ‘scroll swipes’ hit it wrong then you’d end up selecting another country at random and the process had to start again. There was no way to skip to ‘U’ which there might have been on a phone with a keypad. This isn’t a condemnation of ‘touch’ phones but of an underlying operating system that is designed for keypads.

The speed issue was considerable. Every application took a lot longer than the iPhone equivalent to load and you quickly got glimpses beyond the sleek TouchFLO interface and into the murky world of Windows Mobile. With every tap on the screen you could expect a pregnant pause as the tap was translated to the underlying hardware and the results computed. We’re talking about maybe the difference between half a second and 1.5 seconds but in a device like a phone, a sluggish interface is very noticeable.

Also, the inconsistency between hitting the TouchFLO OK buttons at the bottom of the screen and the Windows Mobile OK button at the top left of the screen made it all more confusing as I was scanning my eyes around trying to figure out where the next OK needed tapping. And, it uses a resistance based screen (not capacitance) which, as I understand it, means it works with a stylus and fingernail but not too well with fingers. That would explain some of the scrolling issues.

These may seem to be relatively minor things but when they add up, it was simply too much. As I mentioned, the hardware is beautiful and we can hope that HTC does something similar with an Android phone later this year. On paper, this phone is a lot better than the iPhone. In execution it is incredibly flawed. This may, on the other hand, suit someone who has low expectations on the usability of a phone, who is used to Windows Mobile (though TouchFLO isn’t anything like Windows Mobile and draws the ire of HTC critics who claim the company is breaking the standard interface.).

So, when she sat down and I suggested we do the bake-off between the Diamond and my new iPhone 3G, she refused and asked me to reformat the device to remove all of her details because it was going back. Boom, that’s that. I don’t blame her because, frankly, I found the whole experience to be a chore and it may be a real shame that I’m now spoiled and expect a UI for my phone that’s simple enough to use without a manual and is responsive to my touch. The HTC Touch Diamond is now repacked back in the box to be exiled back to the supplier.

I spent a couple of hours last night playing Mario Kart Wii against a few friends – one in Mallusk and two in London. I’ve written it up here on Lategaming.

It’s a good game. You should try it.

Considerably better than the school canteen out at $BIG_COMPANY is pretty much everything else. Even McDonalds (because they at least give you WiFi).

Today I had lunch at Kainan Cafe, at the end of Royal Avenue. They have a blog as well which impresses me no end.

What you can see there is Pork bellies with Black Pudding, Sour Soup (Yum!) and Pork Brisket. The Pork bellies were a little sweet for me but still very tasty. The brisket had some bones but was delicious. All very reasonably priced as well.

It was intimate, comfy, no-frills and very friendly. Me like.

I’ve got two ‘subnotes’ in the house here. An Asus eee PC and a MacBook Air. Yes, it’s true that the MacBook cost five times the cost of the eee PC but the differences are startling.

I do mention the looks of the machine and, let’s face it, that’s not going to matter to someone who’s used to Linux or Windows. But I appreciate a machine that’s well put together, that doesn’t flex and creak when you lift it and which is easy to carry. Again – like Mac OS X, it’s more than just an aesthetic. The Air is very thin which means that if you’re carrying it with books/papers then it just fits in. The eee PC needs a bit more attention because it’s an awkward shape (half A4, 1.4 inches thick at the widest point) and in a bag, the awkward shape is liable to deform or damage other things in the bag. I’d certainly think twice about carrying the two together in a bag.

I don’t like the eee PC. It’s a perfect example of you get what you pay for. The plastic is cheap and ugly, there’s a strange amount of flex in the unit, sleep functions are almost entirely absent and how anyone can work on that keyboard with that screen. And it’s so sluggish. Yes, it boots up marginally quicker than the MacBook Air but then the MacBook Air has better battery life and very seldom needs rebooted (as Sleep works!) whereas the eee PC needs rebooted often. And the wireless? Is it just Linux? Can’t it ‘just work’. Can’t it automatically reconnect to my two different WiFi networks? Why does it need reconnected manually every time?

To be honest, I’d be more likely to wonder where the utility of the eee PC comes in when compared to the iPod touch, the Nokia N810 and other such devices. It’s the bare minimum of a computer – the UI, capabilities and portability of the N810 and iPod touch leave it far behind.

Yesterday afternoon I visited the dentist. I hate the dentist. No, I don’t hate my dentist (she’s very pleasant), but I hate going because I fear it. But I broke a tooth in early January and I needed to get it sorted. Forty minutes later I’m walking out, feeling somewhat brutalised (at one point I kicked out my foot in pain and made the “Nnnggggggggggggg” noise you make when someone gives you a stabbing pain in your skull and she said, “Did that hurt?”.

Quite.

Around five pm, I drove to Lisburn (Really. Would anyone miss Lisburn?), picked up my father and brother and drove to Dublin because we were going to see Henry Rollins for his Spoken Word 2008 Tour. He’s also in Belfast on 30th March and even though I’ve seen him this tour, he was that funny that I’d go see him again. Around the time the doors to the show opened, the anaesthetic wore off and I was reminded of the nasty pointy tools that had been poking in my mouth earlier with a dull ache that turned into a pounding headache by the time I got home after two in the morning.

Henry has excellent pacing. He tells heart-breaking stories intermingled with humour so you’re not immediately depressed by the subjects he talks about. This year he’ll tell you about his trips to Syria, Iran, Pakistan and Sweden. He’ll tell you enthusiastically about The Ruts and he’ll do his best to avoid talking about Dubya. (Indeed that section was the only bit of the gig I was unimpressed with. I know Dubya is an asshole. I’m tired and bored of hearing about it.)

Rollins’ enthusiasm for music is probably the best thing about his tours. Sure – there’s a lot this time round (I also saw him 2 years ago) where he’s constantly name dropping: David Lee Roth, huh, Dave Vanian and Captain Sensible, sure, Nick Cave and Jello Biafra, okay, Ozzy, right, UK Subs, uh-huh….and the list goes on. It’s okay Henry, we know you’re a happening guy and you’re in the thick of it during happening times and god knows you’re definitely one of the “Famous People I Admire”. The only thing I really took home from the name-dropping was that Van Halen have reformed with David Lee Roth and they’re on tour. Holy shit. If only it wasn’t US-only.

Rollins remains the only Rock Star who I’d not mind marrying my sister.

Every year we wait for the new and sparkly stuff from Apple and we often get it. The move to Intel. The iPhone. the 17″ and 12″ Powerbooks wayback when. This year is no different. We have a new subnotebook, software updates and a glimpse into Apple’s plans for everyone.

MacBook Air

Some correspondants on Damien’s blog don’t think it’s up to much (and this is before touching the device). One commenter wrote “Certainly it’s some kind of breakthrough, but then shit-flavoured ice cream would be, too.” I think that’s more than a bit harsh but then it explains why Apple always dips straight after MacWorld even if the product announcements have been insanely great. A lot of people were expecting Apple to go after the eee PC market and produce a subnote that was cheap. People, seriously. Subnotebooks are not cheap. If you don’t mind running a machine with a 7″ screen, that is light but bulky, only has a 2 hour battery and has barely enough storage for the OS plus any media files, then by all means run, don’t walk, and buy a eee PC. It’s ugly (and yes, I have one here).

The MacBook Air is aimed at people who would buy the Sony TZ series of subnotebooks. No-one would ever accuse Sony of being a cheap brand so I wonder why people expect Apple to suddenly, after years of being a premium brand, flood the market with £200 laptops. The Air would have to be beautiful, it would have to show something new and exciting and it would have to beat the best, not beat the cheapest. It’s thinner than the TZ and cheaper than the TZ.

My beefs with the MacBook air are simple. It’s only got one USB port. Though I seldom have more than one thing plugged into my MacBook Pro, there are times I have two. I might be charging my iPhone while playing Battlefield. And no, wireless mice are not good for the First Person Shooters. This happens infrequently enough that I’m not concerned about it. I’m also not worried about the lack of an ethernet port because, frankly, it’s been months since I plugged my laptop into ethernet and that was when I was at a client site. I usually carry a Airport Express with me if I’m unsure of wireless at the next location. I’m also not that concerned with the lack of RAM upgrades and the inability to remove the battery. 2 GB of RAM is a goodly amount for the target market for this device. I am curious that they didn’t bring out some sort of dock, I guess you plug in your USB hub, your power and your video out and just work on. It’s a sleek machine, underpowered for what I want (mostly in the graphics card department) but tempting. I don’t consider the multi-touch trackpad to be a big deal – if it’s not a touch laptop screen I don’t see the point. That said – touchscreens tend not to be thin if they are of any size.

In all, the MacBook Air is not for me. I’m not THAT much of a road warrior (heck, my laptop is 17″ and seldom leaves the house). It would serve a lot of people I know, probably more than they realise especially when they consider exactly how often do they plug anything into their laptop!

Lack of ethernet? Yes. I really wanted to drop over a grand on a laptop and then run wires all over my house, chaining me to certain parts of the room.

Scores 8/10 in my opinion. I’d have liked a 11″ machine.

iPhone update 1.1.3 (also for iPod touch)

We knew this was coming and it’s just like it said on the tin. Maps will now find your location pretty effectively using cell tower triangulation. You can move icons about. You can add bookmarks to the home screen for the bazillions of web apps out there. Texting to multiple persons doesn’t inspire me in the implementation but that’s a UI thing. Song lyrics? If I had any. iTunes rentals? If they were available in the UK I might care but I have Sky and more movies than I can watch anyway. And for iPod touch owners, $20 for the update isn’t a big deal. Sure, it’d be nice if you didn’t have to buy it but then 5 apps for $20 means apps are being targetted at around $4 each. Is Apple laying down expectations for pricing for iPhone apps bought through iTunes later this quarter?

A solid enough upgrade I guess – I don’t get lost very often though. 6/10

Apple TV update

This makes the Apple TV into an interactive device rather than just something to view media with. It becomes a realistic option for people who have broadband and don’t want to pay for cable or satellite TV or on-demand services. Of course, you can’t buy movies on iTunes in the UK and neither can we rent them via Apple TV. So if you’re in the UK, this is a useless update and another example of how if you’re in the UK, Apple doesn’t really care. Just keep buying their stuff. This is pretty much a 1/10

Time Capsule

The Airport Extreme with built-in hard drive is the only thing that really impressed her-indoors. Everyone should be backing up and with having to plug in disks, it can be a pain having to do so. This removes that pain. This I would place as the most impressive release in the show.

What does this tell me? Apple wants people to have more than one Mac. That seems obvious but Time Capsule is designed to back up multiple Macs. The MacBook Air is not designed as a standalone machine but rather as a portable machine which provides you with a companion to your powerful desktop at home. Leopard options like “Back to my Mac” show that being able to access one Mac from another Mac is an important part of their strategy. They’ve convinced a lot of people to buy one Mac so far and when you’ve managed that, getting them to buy another Mac is a no-brainer.

Time Capsule gets a rather spiffy 10/10 from me. Would have been 11 if it had AirTunes too.

Next?

We’re now counting down to the release of the iPhone SDK.