Forgot to post this one – from the Ulster Bank Business Awards. We didn’t win but it was an interesting experience nonetheless – and the free lunch was a bonus. Are these awards worth it? I’m unsure -the stress of preparing for them can distract you from your primary goal – making kick ass products … Continue reading “Infurious back in December”
Forgot to post this one – from the Ulster Bank Business Awards. We didn’t win but it was an interesting experience nonetheless – and the free lunch was a bonus.
Are these awards worth it? I’m unsure -the stress of preparing for them can distract you from your primary goal – making kick ass products and services.
But it’s not all work – some of it is fun – and it’s good to get distracted. The other two companies at our table were interesting – one provided outsourced skilled labour Europe-wide and the other had a self-erecting marquee product.
Sammy Wilson is the Environment Minister for Northern Ireland as well as a Member of Parliament for the DUP. He reckons that it’s better to have foreigners in Northern Ireland unemployed rather than locals. The DUP minister, speaking on The Politics Show, continued: “I think you’ve got to be very careful when you talk in … Continue reading “Ulster History X”
The DUP minister, speaking on The Politics Show, continued: “I think you’ve got to be very careful when you talk in those terms because people always accuse you of being racist and xenophobic.
“However, when it comes to a downturn, I think if jobs are becoming vacant and you’ve got people with equal skills, and can do the job, etc., then I think preference should be given to people from Northern Ireland.”
I don’t think there’s any doubt that the statement is espousing a xenophobic attitude.
End of the day, any taxpayer is a good employee and as long as they’re paying tax I’d rather have them working. If this means they have to employ immigrants to Northern Ireland then so be it. We’ve no shortage of people who’d rather sit at home and play computer games or watch television rather than actually get a job or, god forbid, start their own business. And that has nothing to do with immigrants.
Suggesting employers select for jobs based on nationality rather than capability means starting to slide down a slipperly slope. How much pain and anguish did we go through because previously employers were not restricted to equal opportunities and instead employed on the basis of religious background? Does Mr Wilson think that just because we’ve gotten over the ‘religion thing’ that we have to find another scapegoat?
Don’t laugh! They’re nothing funny going on here this is about your life and mine. It’s about decent hard-working Americans falling into the cracks and getting the shaft because their government cares more about the constitutional rights of a bunch of people who aren’t even citizens in this country.
On the Statue of Liberty it says: “Give me your tired, your hungry, your poor.” Well, it’s Americans who are tired and hungry and poor. And I say, until you take care of that, close the fucking book. ‘Cause we’re losing. We’re losing our rights to pursue our destiny. We’re losing our freedom. So that a bunch of fucking foreigners can come in here and exploit our country. And this isn’t something that’s going on far away. This isn’t something that’s happening places we can’t do anything about it. It’s happening right here, right in our neighborhood, right in that building behind you..
Here, Sammy, you should watch this. (Hint: Prejudice is bad)
This was generated using Rafael Machado Dohms’ QR Code Generator widget for Mac OS X’s Dashboard. I then tested it using Christian Brunschen’s Barcodes app from the iPhone App Store – which worked perfectly. I’m interested in QR codes simply from the point of view of using it to hide messages, whether this be for … Continue reading “Dicking around with QR codes..”
This was generated using Rafael Machado Dohms’ QR Code Generator widget for Mac OS X’s Dashboard.
I then tested it using Christian Brunschen’s Barcodes app from the iPhone App Store – which worked perfectly.
I’m interested in QR codes simply from the point of view of using it to hide messages, whether this be for my own nefarious purposes or for communicating ideas in a Alternate Reality Game.
Over the next couple of days I’m going to see what sort of data I can get in there and still make it legible for the iPhone (which has possibly the worst camera in existence).
James Scott launched the Northern Ireland Technology Blog in December 2008 and is providing another useful resource for technology companies and startups. The site includes news items, profiles on companies, information for startups, details about the vibrant local “grassroots†tech community and information for students as well as a calendar of upcoming events. The news … Continue reading “Northern Ireland Tech Blog launches…”
James Scott launched the Northern Ireland Technology Blog in December 2008 and is providing another useful resource for technology companies and startups.
The site includes news items, profiles on companies, information for startups, details about the vibrant local “grassroots†tech community and information for students as well as a calendar of upcoming events.
The news provided is tech- and province-focussed with information about the whole technology sector in the six counties.
I’m a little early with this but that’s no bad thing. It’s time to think – to reminisce – and maybe even to plan. Next Monday night, NiMUG will be holding another meeting but this Saturday is much more auspicious. On January 24th Apple Computer will introduce Macintosh And you’ll see why 1984 won’t be … Continue reading “1984”
I’m a little early with this but that’s no bad thing. It’s time to think – to reminisce – and maybe even to plan. Next Monday night, NiMUG will be holding another meeting but this Saturday is much more auspicious.
On January 24th
Apple Computer will introduce
Macintosh
And you’ll see why 1984
won’t be like “1984”
This Saturday is the 25th Anniversary of the Apple Macintosh, heralded by this advert shown during the Superbowl, which has since attained cult status and still wins awards even now. For this advert, Apple hired award-winning director Ridley Scott (best known perhaps for Alien, Blade Runner, Thelma & Louise, Gladiator, Black Hawk Down) and the result was a a masterpiece.
Like them or love them, you can’t ignore the Macintosh. While I was exposed to the Mac in university, my first own Mac was a second hand LCII. With the under-clocked anaemic processor and a 10MB RAM ceiling, it wasn’t fast (though as I was used to a Mac Classic, it was no slouch). As soon as I could afford it, I upgraded to a Performa 5400, a 180MHz Black monstrosity that provided me with TV as well as the ability to mess with video clips. It also provided me with my first taste of internet at home with it’s 33600 baud softmodem. I remember buying a 64 MB RAM chip for it and it costing over £100 – bringing me to a whopping 80MB. My next machine was the original Bondi iMac – the machine that arguably saved Apple. This was joined a short while later by Pismo, a 400 MHz svelte black PowerBook with a fantastic batter life and it was on this machine that I took my first tentative steps into Mac OS X – Apple twinning a much improved version of their famous GUI with UNIX was a master step – even if some didn’t believe it was ready for prime time – and those guys probably still aren’t happy. I picked up the Public Beta at Apple Expo and never looked back. I migrated later to a 1 GHz Titanium and then to a 1.25 GHz Aluminium PowerBook. Then to a 1.67 GHz Aluminium model before making the jump to a MacBook Pro. The rest is just recent history. I’ve played around with other “Apple” products such as a Quicktake 150, a Newton MessagePad 120 and 2000, umpteen Stylewriters over the years and there was never any doubt that the next machine would be a Mac. And it’s not for lack of choice – I’ve always, since starting my first professional job, had access to the latest Windows, Solaris and Linux – but none of them held the same shine.
While we might be all ga-ga about the iPhone or concerned about our stocks and shares if Apple’s CEO trips and stubs his toe, it’s about time that we considered how the world would be like without the iPhone, the iPod and the Mac.
Apple finishes their press releases with:
Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone.
Look at your screen with your windows and buttons, with the rounded corners and overlapping windows. Consider how far we’ve come based on the hard graft of that little company in Cupertino. There’s barely a computer in the world which doesn’t bear the mark of those pioneers in Apple. Others have done admirable work – but they were standing on the shoulders of giants.
“Even in these economically challenging times, we are incredibly pleased to report our best quarterly revenue and earnings in Apple history—surpassing $10 billion in quarterly revenue for the first time ever,†said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO.
Thanks, Apple. I’ve enjoyed the last few years – here’s to many more.
I could have sworn it allowed me to choose “Higher Performance” and “Better Battery Life” from the menu. Am I going crazy? Related posts: Is the iPhone an acceptable phone? Cars … Are Friends Electric Who’s in your Monkeysphere? Phones don’t have carbon footprints. People do.
I could have sworn it allowed me to choose “Higher Performance” and “Better Battery Life” from the menu.
I was born and experienced my formative years in the 1970s. My school permitted the students to bring home one book for the weekend and, more often than not, I picked the same book. I was inspired and entranced by the cover (I recall it was blue) and content (it spoke of wonderful, colourful far-off … Continue reading “America: Day of Days”
I was born and experienced my formative years in the 1970s. My school permitted the students to bring home one book for the weekend and, more often than not, I picked the same book. I was inspired and entranced by the cover (I recall it was blue) and content (it spoke of wonderful, colourful far-off places) and it spoke to me of freedom, of hamburgers and of french fries. The first I was too young to understand and the latter two I had never experienced (I didn’t realise they were the same as beefburgers and chips).
The book was about America and I fell in love.
Now, twenty five years later I sat in a room and silently listened to a man speak about the future. More science, less greed, more for the people, less pollution and war. And I must say it gave me a shiver. It was about the creation of wealth, the realisation of equality, the empowerment of the common man and the stark, unforgiving truth of how America lost the heart of the world.
I’m not inspired by my leaders in my country but, for the first time in a very long time, I’m inspired by the leaders of another country. I’d never taken the time to listen to one of his speeches, never taken the time to read his writings and simply never taken the time to appreciate the man for what he was rather than what he represented.
Barack Hussain Obama, 44th President of the United States inspired me today.
I had been invited to a special viewing (via FOX) of the Inauguration by Mark Finlay of The President’s Club and, surrounded by people from all walks of life, I watched in complete silence as the swearing in of the new president began. I didn’t see but a glimpse of departing President Bush and I felt no malice or hatred. I had despised what America had become over the last eight years, the antithesis of freedom in my eyes, but tomorrow is a new day and for the first time in a long time, my eyes are open to the possibilities.
It’s not too much to say that today, tonight, I envy America and it’s people. I want to be inspired, I want to be able to say that I was there, on that day, I saw the change and I was one of the voices raised in support.
You’re very lucky, America, don’t screw it up.
(And if anyone can help me identify what this book was, I’d be interested in hearing. For posterity sake.)
Evert Bopp writes: “Dell in Limerick, Ireland announced that they were making 1900 employees redundant over the next 12 months. After discussing the news at our local Open Coffee Club meeting I posted an offer of help to these (soon to be ex-) Dell employees. An offer to assist them with advice and guidance if … Continue reading “The CoWorking “Vision””
“Dell in Limerick, Ireland announced that they were making 1900 employees redundant over the next 12 months. After discussing the news at our local Open Coffee Club meeting I posted an offer of help to these (soon to be ex-) Dell employees. An offer to assist them with advice and guidance if they were interested in starting their own business.
…
I would like to take one of the many vacant office buildings in this region and set up an business incubator
…
I also need a property developer with a vacant office building and a forward looking vision. If you know one point them in my direction.“
He makes an excellent point:
“It has become apparent to me that there is an inherent conflict in expecting a public sector body to stimulate private sector enterprise. The involvement of a public sector body in a private enterprise (a start-up in this case) brings along a large amount of bureaucracy and red tape. It’s simply a fact of life and not a negative reflection on the public sector.”
We know this – this is what Digital Circle is all about – enabling the private sector in the digital content creation, management and distribution industries to tell InvestNI what they need, to educate Skillset of what skills they require, to inform the Government of the steps they should be taking.
Evert’s plan is exactly what is going to be needed in Northern Ireland and contains many of the ideas we posted in our (rejected) CoWorking Belfast bid for funding from the Creative Industries Innovation Fund. With Nortel going into Chapter 11, there’s a possibility of 600-odd people going to be released out of the workforce in Newtownabby before the year end. (This assumes Nortel doesn’t sort out it’s finances in the next six months – something they have failed to do consistently in the last 7 years).
We’ve had the vision for more than a couple of years (the first business plan was 2006), we’ve seen what’s needed and there need to be interest from other people with vision!
The “problem” of finding a property developer/owner with vision is the tough one. Engaging directly with one who had a long term empty property in the centre of Belfast resulted in a stalemate as it didn’t matter the worthiness of the cause, it didn’t matter the length of the lease – the price on the building would not budge (demanding £13 sq ft despite the area being as low as £8.) If a property developer with vision walked in the door today, I think we’d jump at the chance. IT seems odd that property owners would rather have offices empty than filled. Part of this is likely to be the sustaining of high rents in low rent areas – an estate agent boasted at me that he was able to get £13.50 psf in a region of Belfast that is £9 psf on average and slowly dying due to the current downturn in the economy. Well done on that front, you’ll get a business which will pay that high rate and then go bust owing others money. So much for a socially responsible economy.
So, what’s the vision part?
How about the social equity involved in fostering startup businesses?
The opportunity to be in at the ground level with potential startups?
The possibility of even investing in these companies and directing their future?
How about keeping startups focussed on profit and sustainability?
We’re not asking for anything for FREE. The tenants in these places would be rent-paying, but it’s the construction of the organisation itself and the initial months to get started (and fill the desks) that would require the vision.
Damien Mulley just announced the nominations for the Irish Blog Awards 2009! Go have a look! “This is not the long list and it is not the short list, this is the Nominations List. Every one of these blogs will now be sent forward for judging. After this, a longlist will be released, followed by … Continue reading “Irish Blog Award Nominations 2009”
Damien Mulley just announced the nominations for the Irish Blog Awards 2009!
Go have a look!
“This is not the long list and it is not the short list, this is the Nominations List. Every one of these blogs will now be sent forward for judging. After this, a longlist will be released, followed by a short list. The winners will be announced on February 21st.”
Best Photo Blog – Sponsored by Pix.ie Iced Coffee Photoblog: http://icedcoffee.ie
I’d suggest you have a click-through and see what’s happening in the big wide world of blogging in your region. There’s some real stars out there (and looking at the heavyweights I’m nominated alongside, I don’t fancy my chances!!!!)
Forgot to post this one – from the Ulster Bank Business Awards. We didn’t win but it was an interesting experience nonetheless – and the free lunch was a bonus. 
