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Science is amazing. It is the first isolated planet of its kind ever to be discovered by scientists, after more than a decade of searching in a process described as “looking for a single needle in amongst thousands of haystacks.” Up to seven times the size of Jupiter, it is free-floating with no gravitational link … Continue reading “Homeless Planet Discovered”
It is the first isolated planet of its kind ever to be discovered by scientists, after more than a decade of searching in a process described as “looking for a single needle in amongst thousands of haystacks.”
Up to seven times the size of Jupiter, it is free-floating with no gravitational link and meets the specific criteria of mass, temperature and age to be designated as a “planet”.
Seems Trek was right. There are planets out there that don’t orbit stars. Isn’t the universe amazing?
From Daringfireball: which is an ugly version of the Vadem Clio from 1999. Related posts: Wake up, Mac, time to die. Tabula Rasa…not quite Analysts and their fevered iTablet dreams EA refuses to licence guns and war paraphernalia its action games this year
This is awesome. Related posts: When marketing a new product Microsoft re-announces already invented tech (again) more on Surface more Instinct details surface…
I’m selling my iPad 3 (3G, 64 GB). And I’m not buying an iPad 4. Neither is an iPad mini in my plans. So I’m going to tell you about the device and the sale and then the why. Firstly, the iPad. It’s a top of the range model with both a SIM slot and … Continue reading “Selling the iPad”
I’m selling my iPad 3 (3G, 64 GB). And I’m not buying an iPad 4. Neither is an iPad mini in my plans. So I’m going to tell you about the device and the sale and then the why.
It’s a top of the range model with both a SIM slot and also a cavernous 64 GB internal storage that I’ve frankly never really managed to fill. For that I blame iCloud more than anything as I seldom keep movies on-device now. This device would have cost nearly £700 new (just seven months ago). It’s still under the first year of warranty so you can buy AppleCare for it and extend the warranty for a further year.
I buy the top of the range model because they have the most flexibility and I’m never left wanting a higher end model, wishing I had bought a model with more space, wishing I had opted for a 3G model. The option of cellular is one I would never be without even though I have tethering available on my phone.
On top of that I’m selling a raft of connectors to attach it to HDMI, VGA and Composite. And the USB bit from the Camera kit (having lost the SD connector). I use the USB connector to attach to keyboards, MIDI devices and a USB headset. Works pretty flawlessly. These connectors would have previously cost around £120. I’ve used them for presentations around the country ( except the Composite ) and they work better than AirPlay mirroring though you’re obviously tethered to a cable.
The iPad is in great condition, stored in an Invision smart case that protects the screen and the back. It may not be to everyone’s taste in colour (mine is a leathery orange colour) but it’s included.
At the moment I’ve become very attached to tablet computing and I’m going to try going back to the olden days (ie 3 years ago). Trying to pare down my work to a laptop and phone. I can still attach my laptop to projectors and control it over Bluetooth just like I do with my iPad (and iPhone as controller). My workflow would be much the same, my delivery of my work much the same and my productivity possibly the same.
It would be easy to justify having laptop and iPad and iPhone and, indeed, iPad mini. Rather than converging our digital lives, we are diverging them. This device for work, this for playing games, a third for reading books. Rather than one device, we now have a device for everything.
Also, since upgrading to an iPhone 5, I’ve been working a lot more from the phone. The extra screen space is tiny but it is enough to make doing presentations in Keynote a pleasure. And the extra speed, useful for rendering and switching apps – itself useful for putting together presentations (need an image, switch to Safari, save an image, switch back to Keynote, open the Media picker).
If I return to the iPad, it will likely be after relinquishing a laptop and moving back to a desktop. The extra screen space, CPU power and storage on a desktop over a laptop is very attractive. And for mobility, the iPad is all anyone could ever need.
So, for now, until the transition is complete, I’m selling the iPad for a fraction of the true value. IF you’re interested in a top of the range machine, then get in touch.
First of all, I’m not a big fan of Borderlands. It’s not the genre, it’s not the art, it’s not the plot or the subplots. It’s not even the plethora of weapons and mods, too numerous to list. The problem is entirely in the gameplay. It’s a fun, high octane and extremely capable first-person shooter. … Continue reading “Borderlands Legends: is this what they wanted?”
First of all, I’m not a big fan of Borderlands. It’s not the genre, it’s not the art, it’s not the plot or the subplots. It’s not even the plethora of weapons and mods, too numerous to list. The problem is entirely in the gameplay.
It’s a fun, high octane and extremely capable first-person shooter. But when you’ve upgraded your sniper rifle to the max, doing four kinds of additional elemental damage and you have the badlands barbarian square to rights in your sights. He can’t see you but you’re three millimetres of trigger finger movement from unleashing a massive calibre, supersonic round with a quad-payload into his unarmoured head. And you squeeze that trigger, your entire view is disturbed by the incredible recoil from your two metre long weapon of death. You peer back down your scope, only to see that not only did you hit the savage in the back of the head but he’s barely injured and he’s walking towards you. So, you unload another five rounds into him from your longarm and, he’s still coming. And the sense that you’re a badass of the wastelands evaporates as this semi-naked brute bludgeons you to death with his fists despite absorbing twenty of your maxed-out shots.
Their latest instalment, Borderlands Legends, translates the game into a third person squad shooter. This sort of game I love more than anything. But I’m disappointed to say that Borderlands Legends does not deliver. It’s definitely not a squad shooter, it’s a shooter where you have to micromanage four individual units who can barely spot an enemy unit until they’re hit by it. This poor AI is made worse by the game being the exact opposite of Borderlands. Rather than an expansive world to explore, you’re limited to a series of identical arenas waiting for hordes of enemies to spawn from unlikely corners. They have managed to exactly translate the feelings of helplessness as your weapons prove to be increasingly inadequate against the randomers who pour from the spawn points.
It’s really not a lot of fun. It’s disappointing because it’s beautiful. Both games are absolutely gorgeous.
Rob Norton: The law of unintended consequences, often cited but rarely defined, is that actions of people—and especially of government—always have effects that are unanticipated or unintended. Economists and other social scientists have heeded its power for centuries; for just as long, politicians and popular opinion have largely ignored it. Which is an excellent introduction … Continue reading “The Law of Unintended Consequences and the Policymaker’s Dilemma”
The law of unintended consequences, often cited but rarely defined, is that actions of people—and especially of government—always have effects that are unanticipated or unintended. Economists and other social scientists have heeded its power for centuries; for just as long, politicians and popular opinion have largely ignored it.
Which is an excellent introduction to this piece on asymco.com by Horace Dediu: The Policymaker’s Dilemma
Europe has failed to generate growth on the basis of ICT. The reasons are that the rate of change in ICT is rapid and getting more so. If European businesses require intervention, support or other forms of assistance in terms of policy, the time for that coordination to take effect is longer than the cycle time of disruption.
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Almost all growth has come from companies that entered the space. Google, Amazon, Apple and Facebook and even Microsoft came into positions of power from outside the industries they entered. Policy tends to offer means of sustaining incumbents or finding “logical” or defensible entrants. I should mention that the problem of industrial policy failing is not unique to Europe. Japan and to a lesser degree Korea are also facing crises of innovation due to policies designed to sustain rather than disrupt.
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It’s understandable given the need to justify spending other people’s money. No policy maker wants to spend it recklessly. However, the process of unforeseen growth is, well, unforeseeable. It cannot be predicted and it’s very likely to come from somewhere other than where you expect it.This quickly becomes a lengthy discussion, but fundamentally the innovation process is chaotic. It’s very similar to the process of artistic creation. The crisis in innovation comes from not having sufficient chaos. If Europe wants to preserve, sustain, nurture, and maintain it will do so at the expense of creative destruction. Nobody likes chaos but everybody wants innovation. Unfortunately they are concurrent things.
Agility is definitely the issue. The ‘time to coordinate’ is the most valid quote in the story above. By the time there has been a thoughtful process, by the time the checks are made and the process verified, chances are the market has moved on. Being too slow is one killer in this industry.
That, and EU insistence on state aid rules. If you want the EU to win on a global platform, strip back state aid restrictions. These are rules which prevent EU members from competing “unfairly” against each other. While richer regions might bask in the expenditure of taxes in useful ways, those people in poorer regions would struggle. The way to deal with the inequity of resource in the EU was to restrict those who could excel.
Other regions, like the US, like Israel, do not have the same restrictions and their industries are eating our lunch. You have to ask what the function of state aid restrictions is? Here they are just used to provide reasons not to give aid to anyone other than well-established incumbents. These other regions are able to fund who they want, without restriction. If they see a need to be in an industry, they buy their way in whether that’s by offering lucrative grants or lucrative visa packages (one of our Scandinavia neighbours offers funding for film development of over !00%.)
This is the problem with unintended consequences. I’m sure there are great reasons for the rules but the unintended consequence is the situation you now realise we have to fix. You can’t talk about EU failure while condemning the individual members to be less competitive than other regions. Relax rules, let the dice fall where they may and reap the winners.
Does the EU want to compete or just be in the competition?
A new user had the poor luck to get a bad Nexus 7. Luckily no-one was hurt. That’s helped me decide what not to get. (Click image to go to original article). Related posts: Compromise: pull and background By far the worst thing about the technology industry is the Journalism iPad Data Plans in the … Continue reading “Nexus 7 catches fire. In the wild.”
A new user had the poor luck to get a bad Nexus 7. Luckily no-one was hurt.
That’s helped me decide what not to get. (Click image to go to original article).
via Ryan Adams on the Twitters: Marty Neill from No More Art on meeting me: At Creative Camp Belfast on Saturday I met Matt Johnston (newly installed staffer of Digital Circle) and he seemed like a nice fella. He was open and chatty and seemed genuinely interested in talking to people about what he wants … Continue reading “It’s easy to get jaded…”
via Ryan Adams on the Twitters: Marty Neill from No More Art on meeting me:
At Creative Camp Belfast on Saturday I met Matt Johnston (newly installed staffer of Digital Circle) and he seemed like a nice fella. He was open and chatty and seemed genuinely interested in talking to people about what he wants to achieve with the organisation, and the fact that he’s very new and just finding his feet. Now for those who remember NIIMA a sharp intake of breath is allowed, actually it’s wise. Digital Circle looks a bit like a sector lead body either now or in the making. Especially when you dig deeper and find that Invest NI hold the lead on this new hybrid puppy.
…Yes NIIMA was a shambles and should have been preserved as an example of exactly not how to set up a lead body for a sector (or anything else for that matter.) Yes a lot of people (me included) wasted time, effort and hope on said shambles. Yes it looked from the outside like a select few did very well from NIIMA and then threw out the baby with the bathwater. All of that is true and given, it was grim at a time when the digital media scene in NI needed a boost.
I hope Marty doesn’t regret meeting me that fateful day.
The BBC is reporting on this. The breakdown is as follows: A few training and employment interventions for NEETs, over 50s and undergraduate university places (not free, you still have to pay). 4,200 people will be affected by this for six months. Reduction in rates for small businesses and freezing car parking charges. This will … Continue reading “£200M to prop up the past. Money comes from the future.”
The breakdown is as follows:
And this:
“The Executive is already committed to delivering over £5billion of capital investment in the current budget period. To boost employment in the construction sector this package will deliver a range of new measures to improve our schools, roads and accelerate nearly £60million of capital projects.”
Which is all support for the construction sector. That’s £5,000,000,000.
And the worst bit?
The £200m is not new money. It is money moved from one department to another or re-prioritised towards different projects.
It is money moved from next year to this year.
So, £200M to be spent now. But we’ll have £200M less in next years budget.
Sir Ken Robinson: The problem is that the current system of education was designed and conceived and structured for a different age. It was conceived in the intellectual culture of the Enlightenment, and in the economic circumstances of the Industrial Revolution. Before the middle of the 19th Century, there were no systems of public education. … Continue reading “Public Education was a challenge in the 19th Century. Public Transport is our challenge.”
Sir Ken Robinson:
The problem is that the current system of education was designed and conceived and structured for a different age.
It was conceived in the intellectual culture of the Enlightenment, and in the economic circumstances of the Industrial Revolution. Before the middle of the 19th Century, there were no systems of public education.
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But public education, paid for from taxation, compulsory to everybody, and free at the point of delivery – that was a revolutionary idea. And many people objected to it. They said it’s not possible for many street kids, working class children to benefit from public education.
Free public transport, paid for by taxation, available to everyone and free at the point of delivery. That’s a revolutionary idea. And many people are objecting to it. They say that the system will be abused by “those people” without directly pointing the finger at low income individuals and families – those who the system will benefit the most.
How long can Northern Ireland tolerate a public transportation system that is simply unfit for purpose? Where rush hour buses are 2/3 empty? Where the expense of using it is grudgingly similar to a car for a single person but absolutely intolerable for a family journey? Where the process of getting a bus hasn’t changed in over 30 years? Where the caretaker company has deliberately obstructed attempts to use technology to improve public transport uptake? Where they have repeatedly made dubious investments in technology which were more concerned with correct billing of customers rather than making it easier and more convenient for customers.
The benefits to economic and social mobility, the improvements in quality of life and the benefits to environment, community are all easily extrapolated from other regions who have decided to serve their citizens better. And the reduction in traffic on the roads would be of immense benefit to those people who, for their own reasons, have to drive.
I measure transportation on three axes. Reliability, Flexibility and Cost. Buses will never be as flexible as owning your own car. Therefore you have to make the system 100% reliable or do something with the cost.
The reliability of the bus system is affected by traffic, primarily, so to increase reliability, you have to decrease the number of cars on the roads. So you have to look at costs.
To get people out of their cars, to increase the reliability of the system, you have to make it that the individual would be crazy to use a car (or would have it mandated by their employer).
The only leverage you have is cost. Make it so cheap that only special cases would choose to use private transport. And at some point, the machinery, the collection and the transport and security over collecting the money becomes uneconomical in itself. The process of collecting the money becomes the barrier to collecting the money. So you make it free.
You guarantee the right of mobility to citizens and tourists alike. You energise the individual and the family to travel the length and breadth of Northern Ireland cost-free. To spend their hard-earned cash in other areas.
You enable the individual to choose to work in the next town, commuting every morning without having to consider the percentage that commute will take out of his or her minimum wage job. You empower people to take advantage of employment.
You encourage travel across the province for tourism, helping to resolve an issue that the vast majority of visitors to Northern Ireland do not leave the cities.
Even if you are a dyed-in-the-wool petrol head, a decrease of traffic should interest you. A reduction in the wear and tear on the roads should interest you. Even if you never use a bus, you could start to think of those for whom public transport is the only opportunity to move beyond their immediate community and the positive effects that could have on our society.
