Archive for the ‘geekery’ Category
I was quite excited when Canoncamerabuzz asked whether I was interested in reviewing some gear for CanonUK. I said I was happy to either trial some pro gear at weddings and write about that over at MTP, or compacts privately and write about those over at this blog.
I must admit that when I received the Canon Powershot S90 for my trial, I was initially a little bit disappointed that it wasn’t, say the 1Ds MkIII, and kind of cursed myself for saying that I’d be happy to trial compacts as well. But funnily enough, within 5 minutes of playing with the S90 on Christmas Eve when I (quite fittingly!) received it, I did a complete 180 and was absolutely blown over.
As it happens, only a little while back I purchased the Powershot G11. I really wanted a near enough compact sized camera, which I could carry around in my pocket and take to music gigs etc, which would have full manual control and the capability to shoot raw. To be perfectly honest, I didn’t really know that there were other options out there than the G11 (and the previous models) for what I wanted, so I didn’t really even look around for anything else. Well as it happens, the S90 has exactly the same sensor as the G11, only everything is packed into a smaller body (nearly as small as my Ixus), and the lens is faster at f2 compared to f2.8 on the G11. The question I’m asking myself now is: how did I not even know this camera existed?
Obviously being smaller in size, there are less controls on top of the S90 than the G11 (and lets be honest, it’s these controls that are like a siren call to us photographers looking for a compact). But all that is forgotten once you discover the two click-stopped direct control rings on the S90, one of which is at the base of the lens and is SO very satisfying to use – from setting the aperture to any other functions you might want to assign to it. Now, after having used the S90, I feel a little bit at loss with the G11 without the nice ring around the lens, what a silly thing to omit from that particular camera.
There is really no difference in the quality that these two cameras produce. I like to shoot wide open where ever I can, and both of these cameras allow for me to do that, but the faster lens on the S90 does make a huge difference to me. It also means that it doesn’t really matter that much that the ISO range isn’t as wide as on the G11. The only ‘negative’ on the S90 I can think of is the shorter zoom at 3.8x as opposed to 5x on the G11.
Unfortunately I don’t have very many ‘proper’ samples of photos from the S90, as for some reason the battery charger was omitted from my box – and the battery didn’t fit any of my other gazillion canon battery chargers. I did have the camera with me in Finland, and the battery lasted approximately 2 minutes outside in -16C. (So it’s safe to say the camera/battery is not really the best option for ‘extreme’ conditions).
I did manage to snap a few pictures on New Year’s Eve though. The picture below was taken nearly at midnight. It was pitch black, apart from the street lights, but the S90 didn’t really have a problem. These sort of conditions also show what a difference the ability to shoot raw on a compact makes.
In conclusion, and I REALLY hate to say this, I would recommend the sleek S90 over the bulky G11 any day (not to say that the G11 isn’t a GREAT camera – it is, I just prefer the same greatness in a smaller package). If you are looking for a properly compact sized compact camera, with full manual control and raw ability, this camera is pretty perfect. I really wish I would have known about it before I bought the G11, and am now secretly kind of hoping I could exchange the G11 for the S90… :D
Tags: Canon, Canon Powershot G11, Canon Powershot S90, Canon UK, canoncamerabuzz, photography related, technology
Posted by Marianne at 11:33 am in geekery, in review, photography related
I started writing this over at MTP, but then decided all this text looked kind of out of place in a photo blog, so thus I moved my ramblings over here. Maybe it’s for the better anyways as God knows this place needs some livening up!
Recently I was invited to attend a round table discussion with Canon UK, which was organised by Canoncamerabuzz. It was an opportunity for me and a few other professional photographers to see the whole lineup of Canon’s DSLRs (including the brand new 1D MrkIV, which started shipping this week) in the same room, and hear about some of the processes behind developing new bodies and lenses.
I didn’t really have any expectations for the evening, apart from getting to fiddle with the 1Ds MrkIII (which was very satisfying indeed – I still definitely cavort over it more than the new 1D MrkIV). What I came away with was a clearer understanding behind Canon’s decisions for their line-up and who the average end user actually is (i.e. not me). As professionals, we tend to have a bit of a skewed perspective on what the next camera models should do and what kind of features they should, or shouldn’t, possess. Add to that the fact that for someone like me, coming from a film background, it’s hard to get my head around the fact that the majority of dSLR consumers these days have never even used film, which was kind of clarified to me when I was questioning why the 1D MrkIV isn’t full frame. As it goes, the market for full frame isn’t as big as I would have though. For me, it’s the only sensible thing to do but, as product specialist Mark Burnhill from Canon UK explained, the majority of dSLR users are of an age that have always shot with a crop sensor, and that’s what they find ‘normal’. To me, that seems completely perplexing! When I started my move to digital, via an EOS 350D and 20D, I felt restricted, not only in what I saw through the viewfinder, but in the fact that I couldn’t use my lenses to their full effect. So when I finally got my hands on the 5D, and subsequently the 5D MkII which I now use, it literally felt like I could breathe normally again. Until I now heard Mark rationalise the issue for me, I couldn’t for the life of me understand why someone wouldn’t want a full frame camera.
The other interesting fact was how infinitely bigger the market is for the lower end models, the pro end of the line is practically a drop in the ocean when it comes to Canon’s dSLR sales. Obviously that is going to have an affect on what the development efforts will be concentrated on. Interesting no? Perhaps this has always been obvious to everyone else, but I’ve never really even considered all of this when scratching my head about why there are so many crop sensor models, and a dizzying amount of different lower-end models with only marginal differences, about. A shocked shiver went through the room when Mark asked us what we thought of the possibility of coloured dSLR bodies, apparently that’s the latest demand from the Japanese market. Uh huh. Give me a pink Ixus to slip into my pocket any time, but please leave that sort of gimmicks out of the ‘proper’ cameras I say!
After all these ‘revelations’, my position hasn’t really changed. Ever since I started using SLR’s in the early 90’s Canon has, and always will be, the manufacturer for me, and in my opinion their lenses are head and shoulders above the rest. And the fact that even after looking at the realities of ‘where the real money is’, they keep on developing new and exciting pro gear for us to play with is a testament to Canon’s dedication to quality picture-making.
How was that for sounding like a real Canon fan girl (which of course I am)? :D
I know, I know, I need to blog about what’s been happening on the house-hunting front, about Cornwall and all the other stuff that I haven’t had time to blog aboout. Soon, I promise. Well, perhaps not a firm promise, but at least a promise to attempt!
Tags: Canon, Canon UK, canoncamerabuzz, photography related, social networking, technology
Posted by Marianne at 6:45 pm in geekery, photography related, social networking
Arriving home from work today I had a little box waiting for me by the doorstep. From it emerged a paper beaky, reminiscent of the ones we used to make in school back in the day.
Turns out it was part of campaign material for Terminate the Rate, which launched today. Basically, what’s happening is that BT, 3, moneysupermarket.com, NUS, FSB, GMB and Carers UK announced their stand against high mobile termination rates (those pesky additional charges made every time you call a mobile cross-network or from a landline), and launched a campaign to get them lowered to a more reasonable level.
If you want to know more, keep an eye on the Terminate the Rate blog. Oh and if you want to make your own little beaky, you can print out the template from here.
Tags: 3, 3 network, 3Network, MTR, technology, terminate the rate
Posted by Marianne at 8:28 pm in geekery
Only just noticed that Timelines is finally live! I feel strangely naked now. I guess that from now on I must start taking part in only highly interesting and exciting happenings. Phew.
Tags: 3, 3 network, 3mobilebuzz, 3Network, INQ, INQ1, technology, Timelines
Posted by Marianne at 2:24 pm in geekery
One. Adam at Quark technical support rocks!
Two. Starting the week with a stomach flu of some sort, not so much.
Tags: my life, quark, social networking, technology
Posted by Marianne at 10:25 pm in geekery, my life in words, social networking
This week has been pretty full on, in good and in bad. Can’t remember a time when I’ve last been ‘out’ after work nearly every night of the week. Slightly exhausting. But there’s something to be said about being busy, it definitely has a way of making you feel alive, and like you’re a part of life in general. As much of a homebody as I am, not making the effort to interact with the outside world can have a very isolating effect. And currently I’m really enjoying just getting out there and meeting new people, making new connections, getting new ideas.
On Tuesday I attended a ’round table’ do, with some techy bloggers and representatives from 3UK, which came about through my association as an INQ1 tester. I was all prepared to share my views on what 3 is getting right, what wrong, and where I think they should be heading towards. But as it happened, I was waaaay too slow to butt in anywhere in the conversation. I felt like a bit of a dunce to be honest, but none the less, it was still really interesting, I think I went as far as saying ‘exciting’ on the night. God knows I’ve at times been really frustrated with the 3 coverage (and help desk) during my years as a customer, but after hearing for myself how they are going about trying to make a difference, I feel quite intrigued to stick around. It’s refreshing to hear from a company who genuienly wants to listen to their customers and make new ways of communicating available for everyone. A fact which was confirmed on Thursday, when came the announcement that 3 will be offering free skype calls to everyone, which I’m sure left other operators reeling.
On Wendesday I had a meeting with an author about shooting headshots for her book jackets, which was pretty exciting. She divides her time between Venice and London (jealous much?) and her flat by the Thames was as unbelievably nice as she herself was. I must say I’ve never visited such a beautiful home before. One of the things I absolutely love about my photography gigs (apart from the photography itself that is) is getting the chance to take a peek into the different lives people lead. It’s truly fascinating.
And to tie that thought into Tuesday’s 3 event, I’d add that on a personal level, the best thing that comes from that sort of things is getting to meet new interesting people. It’s really refreshing to hear new points of views and life stories. Which leads straight into my Thursday when I popped out for after work drinks with Ant from Fresh Plastic, whom I met at the round table do. I’m glad I did as the weather was gorgeous, the South Bank heaving with people, and I thoroughly enjoyed the company. Good times.
And then Friday. Less said about that the better. A complete meltdown in the office due to a network error, which resulted in a big part of the issue – due to go to press that day – having been wiped out. Long story short, the latest backup files we ended up with were from the previous Friday, so I’m still in the middle of trying to re-create a week’s worth of work by next Tuesday for there to be any chance of the magazine going out in time. Hey ho. Oh but I must say that Twitter is pretty friggin amazing. As soon as I posted about my problem the advice started flooding in from all over the world. I felt truly amazed and humbled at how many people were trying to help me! Anyone who says social networking is a waste of time has no idea what they’re talking about. End of.
Yesterday was finally Lucy & Richard’s wedding day. In the morning it looked like it was going to rain, but luckily the weather held out and what started as a gloomy morning turned into a gorgeous sun-baked afternoon. The wedding was brilliant, even if I was absolutely cream krackered afterwards. And again, I could go on and on about how cool it is to be able to get to be a part of other people’s lives if even for just a brief moment. So very very cool indeed. But yes, I was way too trigger happy and the editing work looming ahead freaks me out a bit. Not going to even start on that until next week though. I’ve booked a couple of days of annual leave from the day job, which, when added to the Bank Holiday weekend, should hopefully give me enough time to process this wedding. Dreading and looking forward to it in equal amounts. :D
But today has been all about re-charging. I was sorely in need of a day off, so today I ‘ve been concentrating on catching up with my Sky+ recordings and unread magazines. Even got around to reading the David LaChapelle special edition of PHOTO magazine I got in Paris. That was a long time coming!
Oh and can I just finish up with sharing how much I love Red Direct, the online store for Red magazine. I especially adore the little catalogues that come with the magazine, so well layed out, bursting with such perfectly photographed pictures of their brilliantly edited collection. Someone there really knows their stuff. Is it weird that flicking through the catalogue gives me immense pleasure even if I didn’t order anything…
Wow. This turned into a bit of a monster post! I guess a day off can have that effect… :D
Tags: 3, 3 network, 3Network, engagement photography, INQ, INQ1, my life, PHOTO, Red, red direct, wedding photography
Posted by Marianne at 1:35 pm in geekery, my life in words, photography related, social networking
Soo, I finally went through the snapshots from Saturday’s Gadget Show Live. I travelled up to Birmingham with 3mobilebuzz, as part of a small team of bloggers. We were given fun little challenges, and were sent off to roam the stands upon stands of new cool things. Not such a bad deal.
We started off from the 3 stand, above. Pictured are our hosts Seb and Matt, with a fellow blogger, Rocktographer. Our first challenge set the pace for the day really.
We plunged head first into the, sometimes bizarre, world of all things gadgetry.
All the boys really loved the Nvidia 3D gaming and Roland V-Drums demos. The Minoru 3D webcam though, not so much. I tried it with the glasses and couldn’t really understand what the point of it was. There was also a puzzling amount of all sort of ass-jiggling equipment on show, which made for some amusing viewing at times.
Above are the most useless, and the most bizarre gadgets, that I chose for my challenge. I really couldn’t understand why anyone would want to wear an ugly thing like the Swap ’smart watch’, which is a watch+phone+camera+mp3 player etc, etc, all in one, when you could just, you know, use your phone. LG had a similar product on their stand, called the 3G Touch Watch Phone (LG-GD910), which looked a tiny bit more attractive, but still, I would classify these as completely useless. Perhaps in the future, when all that technology can be packed into small enough space to look at least remotely appealing on your wrist, I might start warming up to the idea. What I found to be the most bizarre aspect of the show was the multiple stands for different companies selling electric cigarettes, such as the E-Lites. Just say no.
Here are some of the gadgets that managed to raise my pulse somewhat. I really liked the look of the Emtec Movie Cube S800, attractive and useful, what more could you ask for in a gadget. I gave the ‘most innovative’ title to the Wattson energy monitor (no picture of that sorry!) from DIY Kyoto, which was an absurdly sleek looking for such a ‘green’ and sensible device. Oh and also, the Sony OLED TV’s were pretty damn impressive. But what I found most sexy and desirable (as per the challenge) though, was the Vita audio system, possibly mostly for it’s absolutely beautiful design. And the dude demonstrating it for me wasn’t half bad either! :P
My second challenge was to find something that could take my photography to the next level. I must say, the camera gear on show didn’t do an awful lot for me, but then it wasn’t a camera show and not aimed at professionals. The top model there was the 5DmkII, which I already use. I did drool over the Canon PIXMA 9500 at the Warehouse Express stand though (never mind that they didn’t have the Canon PIXMA Pro9500 Mark II on show), it would be kind of great to be able to make A3 prints, but I could never find the space for such a monster! I did manage to make two purchases though, in the shape of a Gorillapod and a mini umbrella/flash bracket kit for my 580EX II.
The most dense gathering of geeks was around these pretty cool RoboSteel sculptures, which are hand-made from scrap metal auto-parts. They were pretty slick I must say, but then again, I was part of the gathering! :P
The girl in me really warmed to the different sleeves for gadgets on show. While DigiSkins had the widest selection of skins on their stand – some of them really cool designs – I for some reason preferred the smaller stand for Wrappz. Their skins seemed somehow more durable, and also they were the only ones offering software for completely customisable skins, which I think is pretty rad. I got a few samples from Wrappz and thought I’d give them out as I don’t own either of the devices they’re for. If you want to win a skin for either a Sony PSP 3000 or an iPhone 3G, comment on this entry with your preference and I’ll draw a winner sometime next weekend (unless no-one’s interested that is!).
We wrapped up the day in the Sony Super Theatre, where we got to enjoy a live show hosted by the presenters of The Gadget Show: Jason Bradbury, Suzi Perry and Jon Bentley. For the first time in my life I was a VIP, which meant I got to sit on a blue seat instead of a green one. :D Awesome. The show was good fun, with a lot of interactive games with the audience. It was a nice way to end the day.
It was a long old day (and I know I whined enough about getting up at such early hour!), and train delays meant I wasn’t home until after 9pm. But it was all good fun – I got to see a lot of toys, and got to know new interesting people. So I’d say it was well worth it!
Tags: 2009, 3, 3 network, 3mobilebuzz, 3Network, Birmingham, Gadget Show Live, social networking, technology
Posted by Marianne at 7:00 am in geekery, social networking
As nice and relaxing as my mini-break was, getting back to the normal rhythm has required hitting the ground running. Catching up with work in the office, and gearing up for getting the issue to press, has made these couple of days feel like a lot longer time, with the amount of work I’ve packed in. In other ways I do like being busy though. There’s no rest for the wicked at the weekend either. Tomorrow I’m off to The Gadget Show Live in Birmingham with 3, which should be fun. But also means I have to get up before 6am. On a Saturday. Surely there’s a law against such inhumanity. After surviving tomorrow I have two shoots on Sunday. Which is all nice and the stuff I love doing, but then just around the corner comes Monday and press week… And I haven’t even unpacked my suitcase yet.
Bookings for my wedding photography are rolling in at a nice pace. I’m now at a point where I have turn people away as there’s only so many weddings I can do while still being in full time employment as well. In fact, I’ve just about booked all my annual leave until the end of the year, just for wedding work. No holidays for moi this year… Oh how I yearn for the time when it will be possible to ditch the day job and concentrate just on the photography. It still seems such a long way off though, with us being nowhere near qualifying for a mortgage big enough to buy even a cave in the area we live in (out of commuting necessity). Oh well, just trying to keep my head down and push through it, as hard as it is. Fingers crossed it will be worth all the hard work in the end.
Hmm, I think I’m gonna head out to grab some lunch while there seems to be a break in the rain.
Tags: my life, photography related
Posted by Marianne at 12:56 pm in geekery, my life in words, photography related
I’ve been testing my little INQ since Christmas now, and to be honest, I have grown quite fond of it. There’s something about the ease and convenience of the applications, that I miss on my Nokia 6500s. I still don’t really use it as a ‘phone’ as such, but rather to check up on Facebook and gmail, and to use Skype. I know I’ve banged on about this many times before, but the Skype application on it is really what makes it for me. I can’t understand why the Skype on my Nokia is so cumbersome to use. With the INQ it’s always connected and the chat function (which my Nokia’s Skype app doesn’t even have!) works like a charm.
Despite me trying everything in my power to synch the INQ with my computer, I just could not get it to work. Not sure if it was the truly craptastic sofware, my Windows Vista 64-bit, or both, but after hours of tearing my hair out I just gave up. It’s a shame really as I really wanted to love all sides of the INQ, but in order to use it as a real phone I just need to have all my contacts and calendar synched. Same goes for getting pictures and music in and out of it. No matter how many times I was told I could connect it as a portable hard drive, I could not copy anything to or from the phone. Meh.
Given all the synching problems, I’m actually quite surprised how I much I do use it though. The fact that you can be connected to people without having your whole traditional phone book on your phone, goes to show how the idea of the INQ is very much on the right track. Social media is such a powerful tool for keeping in touch these days that you almost don’t miss the traditional ways of communicating.
One thing where the people behind the INQ have seriously missed a trick though, is with the design of the phone. It’s been given this generic metallic hi-end mobile device look, not far off from my Nokia 6500s for example. However, when you pick the phones up, the difference becomes obvious. The INQ just feels so much… cheaper. Despite the metallic look, it has a plastic-y, light feel to it, instead of the feeling of a quality product. With a product that you hold in your hand it’s not enough to just ‘look’ a certain way, and with the INQ the look and the feel just don’t correlate. I’ve been using it for less than two months and already the metallic coating on the navigation button is showing signs of wear – not good.
Taking into consideration the ethos of the phone – young, forward-thinking, affordable – I have no idea why they have gone for this mock hi-end design. I think the designers should have gone completely the different direction. If the INQ came in pretty colours (and maybe also in white), reminiscent of the original mini ipods, but with a Japanese-gadgets-inspired hard plastic with rounded corners as material, I think it would be an instant hit with the younger demographic who are most likely to be interested in the INQ in the first place. Also, since they went to all the trouble of commissioning artists to create original artwork, which was used on the ‘manual’ cards (how many times will anyone look at those? Once, I bet – the first time they open the box.), why not take that idea one step further and have the artwork actually on the phone? I think all of the images would work great on the handset, either as hard plastic covers or even as changeable picture under a clear plastic cover. Now there’s a unique product that would interest just the people the INQ is aimed at…
The ultimate most annoying thing about the INQ however is something a lot more practical, or not, as the case may be – battery life. Taking into consideration the fact that I’m not even making phone calls, it’s incomprehensible to me that the battery hardly lasts a day. I charge the handset every night, and even so on some days it dies on me before the day is through. That just seems completely unacceptable to me. Also, let’s not even go into the decision to have just a usb connection for the charger and the headphones… what silliness.
Kind of annoyed that I can’t offer any more in depth reviews on the camera and music side of the phone. But for what’s it worth, even in it’s half-baked state, the INQ has proven to be a useful little part of my gadget family.
And I guess it’s gotten a few other people hooked as well since it just won GSMA’s award for Best Mobile Handset at the Global Mobile Awards 2009.
Tags: 3 network, 3Network, facebook, INQ, INQ1, review, skype, social networking, technology
Posted by Marianne at 10:35 am in geekery, social networking
As a side note, if I was ever to be unfaithful to my baby, it would be with this gorgeous Vivienne Tam Special Edition HP Mini 1000. Just look at it, how gorgeous can this tiny beauty be!
Tags: HP, social networking, technology, vivienne tam
Posted by Marianne at 6:51 pm in geekery, social networking
I could get some of the office Christmas party pics from earlier today off the camera but I’m on the sofa with my laptop, and watching Eddie Izzard, so can’t really be arsed. Maybe tomorrow. :P
I’m so tired that everything aches, not sure how long I’ll manage to stay up for. Doesn’t matter though. I’m treating today as the start of my Christmas holiday, even though I still have to go in on Monday. I’m thinking I will treat Monday as ‘popping up to town to have lunch with Layla’ sort of thing. Sounds much more inviting that ‘going to work’.
I’ve been playing with my INQ a lot yesterday and today, and am getting to like it more and more. Funnily, this being a mobile phone trial, I’ve actually used very few traditional phone functions, like making calls or even texting, in the past two days, since I can pretty much satisfy most of my communication needs via other methods. There are certainly a lot of things I like about the INQ, but also some niggles that could do with a bit more work in my opinion.
Last night after work I headed up to a very snazzy office in the West End (oh it was quite lovely to be back at my old stomping grounds!) to meet up with Matt from 3mobilebuzz and to find out a bit more about what’s actually involved in the mobile trial. It also gave me a chance to share the biggest gripes I’ve had with the handset so far, which Matt then forwarded to INQ/3, which is kind of cool. Not sure if my user experience is going to make any actual difference when it comes to the future INQ models, but here’s hoping.
But yeah, the things I really like about it so far:
- It’s really easy to switch between all the different networking clients, which means you can be writing on people’s walls on Facebook, having a skype or live messenger chat and checking your mail, all practially at the same time.
- The facebook client is really handy as you can write messages and update things even when outside of network coverage, it will then post everything once you are connected again.
- Skype works like a charm. On my Nokia you have to keep on connecting to skype every time you need to use it, which makes it less than ideal, but on the INQ it is actually always on and connected (as long as you have network coverage). I’ve used the skype chat a lot instead of sending text messages and really like the ease of it.
- It’s cool to be able to merge all the instances of the same person from skype, msn, facebook etc. into one contact. That way you can always see if they are online with some client and thus use the most convenient way of communicating. Can’t wait to see how easy (or difficult?) it’ll be to really get all the contacts integrated when I get the phone synched with my Outlook.
- I like the pared down simplicity of everything. It does the things you want it to do and there’s no ‘fluff’ to confuse you.
Then the negatives:
- The build of the phone feels a bit cheap and flimsy.
- There’s very little control over sounds in different clients, for example the skype incoming chat message is driving me nuts, and there doesn’t seem to be any way of turning this off.
- The facebook client is missing one crucial navigational aid from the top menu – ‘home’. At least for me this is the page I want to generally start from, but to get there you’ll have to go to a submenu menu and ‘jump to’ the homepage.
- The phone keeps buzzing (especially in the middle of the night) to inform me of some sort of event or message, but when you have a look there’s no actual way of knowing what the hell the buzz was for. Quite annoying.
- The window turns horizontal in a very random manner. Browsing some websites it’ll suddenly turn sideways at a slight flick of your wrist, but it’s impossible to actually make it do this on command. I have no idea why and when it happens, and whether it’s supposed to do it every time you turn the phone sideways.
- Why no blogger or generic blogging client?
Hmm. I guess that’s it for now. I’m still waiting for the software that will enable me to synch the phone with my calendar and address book. I also haven’t put any music on it yet so can’t comment on sound quality etc. yet.
Sometime next week there’s something a bit exciting happening regarding the trial. Will tell you more about it when it’s live.
Uhh I think I’ll have to give up now and go to bed. Hopefully will have a lot more energy tomorrow, have shedloads to do. And also, we’re having a little xmas do with Sooz before she’s off to Finland (sniff) for Christmas.
Tags: 3 network, 3Network, facebook, INQ, INQ1, my life, social networking, technology
Posted by Marianne at 11:14 pm in geekery, in review, my life in words, social networking
Today didn’t start very well. Waterloo was in chaos and getting on the tube was a right palaver. And not just in the usual way. While waiting on the platform for the (5th) tube that I might fit in, I got a bit annoyed by the person behind me getting a bit too close (and that’s saying something with the way people were packed there). He was very short though so I assumed it was a kid, they don’t generally have a similar sense of personal space as adults tend to. Finally there was a train I could squeeze into and the person behind me pushed me in with such force that I had to swear out loud. Once we were all squeezed in I realised the someone had their arm practically around me. Trying to turn my head wasn’t very easy as the car was so crammed with people, but I did realise that it was the same shortarse from the platform, who had now squeezed himself behind me. I then realised that he wasn’t a ‘kid’ at all, but indeed some mutherf*****g pervert trying to get off by humping my leg! Eugh! All I could do in the tight space was to elbow him in the chest really hard. I later hoped I’d said something to embarrass him for good, but I was too shocked to speak at the time, besides, he was behind me so it was a bit difficult. After I elbowed him he got off the train at the next stop… only to move on to the next carriage. Uhh. I still feel violated!
The day didn’t get much better once I got in the office. We still have no internet/server access due to problems that have now been going on for a month. The atmosphere at work is very tense as people as just so over not being able to do their work and just having to sit there and wait… it’s soul destroying. And to add insult to injury, we’re supposed to get the issue to press tomorrow. Hey ho.
There were some positive points to the day though. Since going to the INQ launch party, I was chosen to test out the new handset for a month, and I received my review copy today. It was good timing as I really could use some distraction at work, which playing with the phone provided. In this short space of time I have already grown to like it quite a lot. All the social networking tools are easy to use, and dad already managed to phone me on skype while I was on the train. :D
I think I mentioned after the launch the original artwork created for the cards that work as a manual. They’re super cute.
I’m not quite sure how I can synch the phone with my address book and calendar, something that would be vital for me if I was using the phone for real. For now it grabbed all my facebook contacts and added them into my phone book. Note sure if that was the way I wanted to go about things. :D I think I’ll have to have further play with it to figure out what’s the best way to do things. I will let you know my thoughts over the month.
Tags: 3, 3 network, 3mobilebuzz, 3Network, driedonpaper, facebook, INQ, INQ1, London, London Underground, my life, social networking, technology
Posted by Marianne at 7:36 pm in geekery, in review, my life in words, social networking
Soooo, you’re probably dying to hear what the answer to the mystery of the driedonpaper party was. Turned out it was a party organised by 3 to celebrate the launch of a new ’social mobile’ called INQ (pronounced ink – explains the mysterious invitation I suppose), which was announced earlier in the day.
The venue, Shoreditch Studios, was very nice (now I wouldn’t mind a studio like that!) and done up in a pretty snazzy way, Fifteen took care of the food and there was plenty of free tipple to go around. The main attraction was of course the phone, and there were several people walking around with the handsets, handing them out for guests to try.
My very first impression of the phone was that it looked cool in an understated way. The size was nice, smaller than the brick that is the iPhone, and even though this made the screen smaller, it was bright and clear and easy to look at.
The INQ1 is marketed by 3 as ‘the Facebook phone’, but it’s a bit more than that. Facebook, Skype and Live Messenger, among other things, are integrated in the operating system, so you can sync your contacts with all the social networks they belong to, integrating images, messages and details to your phonebook. As it’s client and not app based, you can schedule posts, facebook messages etc. even when the phone is offline, allowing it to update when you’re back in the reach of a signal.
The interface was quite intuitive to use and thought had definitely gone into how to collate and streamline people’s fractured online presence in a sensible way. I do really dig the idea behind that. Of course it will mean that you are never offline as it were, since you’ll always be contactable in one way or the other. Another thing I wonder is whether everyone really has the same circle of friends in all of these mediums, and if not, would a device like this make that akward? Perhaps I’m overthinking.
There’s also a widget manager, which includes a selection of interesting apps such as Weather, RSS feeds and Google, all which will update automatically. New widgets, such as eBay, will be introduced later this year.
One of my favourite things was how the mediaplayer had last.fm support for instant scrobbling, that’s a pretty forward-thinking idea in my book.
What might be somewhat surprising is the target market the INQ is aimed at. With a campaign like this, it’d be easy to think that this was a high-end product. Not so. On a 3 contract, you can get the INQ free, with all the bells and whistles of free skype et al. included, for just £15 a month. In the Guardian review of the INQ1, INQ’s chief executive Frank Meehan is quoted saying that the new device is designed to bring the mobile internet, and especially mobile social networking, to a much wider audience. ‘The 85% to 95% of the market that did not buy the iPhone and cannot afford an expensive smartphone has been frankly forgotten,’ he says.
Considering that the price point puts INQ at the low end of the market, there has been some clever thinking happening with the way it’s been branded and packaged. Several artists were commissioned to create original works of art (which were also displayed on the walls at the venue), which were used in snazzy easy-to-use cards that functioned as the manual for the phone. No boring booklet to be found in the box, but gorgeous little works of art instead. I like.
All in all, it was a pretty interesting evening, and the INQ is certainly a pretty interesting product, and I’m glad I did manage to go. And as a bonus, at the end of the night we got to take a poster, a t-shirt and an usb stick home with us.
Tags: 3, 3 network, 3mobilebuzz, 3Network, driedonpaper, facebook, INQ, INQ1, last.fm, launch, London, party, social networking, technology
Posted by Marianne at 2:57 pm in geekery, social networking
I feel like I ought to let you know that MTP now has a facebook page, just in case you feel a strong urge to become a fan! :D
In other news, I’ve sent a strongly worded letter to London Underground today, as this morning I’d just had enough! I’ve had to walk from Waterloo every morning this week because of disruption on the Jubilee line. What exactly is the point of paying for a season ticket if you can never get on the train?? But yes, I expect they will jump into action any minute now, after receiving my letter. I can only wonder how many zeros there will be on my compensation cheque. :P
Tonight’s the night of the mysterious driedonpaper launch party. Sooz is coming with me, and we’ve been pulling our hair out trying to figure out what it might be for – with no success. Is exciting! I hope it’s something good after all this suspence… will let you know tomorrow.
Tags: 3, 3 network, 3mobilebuzz, 3Network, driedonpaper, facebook, INQ, INQ1, London Underground, my life, photography related, social networking, technology
Posted by Marianne at 2:11 pm in geekery, my life in words, photography related, social networking
I received this mysterious package in the post today.
The contents looked even more mysterious…
Hmm…
Turns out it was a print-yourself-invitation to… something. :D
There’s not much information, just that it’s a launch of some sort and that Disco Bloodbath and the Unabombers are performing. The website doesn’t give many clues either. Hmm intriguing! Not sure if can make it on Thursday night though… but my curiousity has certainly been sparked!
Tags: 3, 3 network, 3mobilebuzz, 3Network, driedonpaper, event, INQ, INQ1, London, music and gigs, social networking, technology
Posted by Marianne at 1:03 pm in geekery, music and gigs, social networking
Well, there’s a first time for everything. I’m sitting in the car on the M25 (not driving I might point out), updating my blog on my laptop. Now that is proper geekage. Or just brilliant time management! :D Yeah, it feels like ages since I’ve actually written a blog entry, I just tend to chuck a few photos this way when ever I have a minute. Life’s been a bit full on lately. Admittedly, it’s all my own doing what with effectively having two jobs, two websites and three blogs to try to keep up with.
Talking about two jobs, what’s kept me most busy is doing the groundwork in setting up a little part-time business. The website took quite a few nights to put together, but is mostly finished now (Paul, I could seriously not function without you!), and I’m moving onto a marketing phase. What I want to do this year is get some bookings for next year, and then start properly working from the start of 2009. Weekends will never be the same again I’m afraid… But something needed to be done. That is if we ever want to get out of renting in this country. It’ll take a lifetime to try to save up the deposit banks are demanding in these mad times. But yeah, hopefully I’ll get enough work to get at least a little bit closer to home ownership once again. Oh and by the way, there’s also a new blog, which will eventually be for sharing shots from client shoots mostly, but for now there’s some overlap with this blog for obvious reasons.
Eugh, starting to feel a bit sick now what with looking at the screen instead of the road.
We’re on our way to spend a night at Nikki & Ian’s, it’s been too long since the last time again! The sun is trying to shine and it’ll be nice to see Southend again, I do miss the place at times.
Have a nice weekend everyone!
Tags: my life, photography related
Posted by Marianne at 2:36 pm in geekery, my life in words, photography related
Finland finally got added to the Skype world subscription, so I signed up instantly. Now I can use skype to make calls from my mobile (yay) and I can also have three numbers (in different countries) so people can phone me as they would a normal landline. I set up a Finnish number to start with, can’t really think of in what other countries there are desperate people wanting to get in touch with me. :P But yeah, if you want to get my ‘Finnish’ number, which will cost you no more than a normal landline call in Finland would, and to which I can answer via skype (when I’m home), let me know.
Thank heavens it’s Friday. The worst of the gloom has definitely lifted, on all fronts. Just have to get through today.
I didn’t even turn my computer on last night, so I will have to finish sorting the photos tonight. The blog is looking awfully text heavy without any pictures! Oh I know, here’s a camera phone snap of the ring I’m wearing today. I got a gift voucher to New Look for my birthday and this ring was one of the things I bought (for £1!). It just cheers me up looking at it. Little pretty things make me happy.
I should probably get on with looking like I’m busy now.
Tags: my life
Posted by Marianne at 10:38 am in geekery, my life in words, social networking
My new baby is enjoying the new fluffy bedding as much as I am it seems. Yesterday’s Ikea trip was exhausting, but totally worth it in the end. It feels like the bed has been upgraded to a new standard.
Today’s been a busy day of cleaning, scrubbing and getting old quilts and sheets packed away for Oxfam. There’s still some stuff to do, like the kitchen, which is a tip, but mostly the flat is already feeling fresher, calmer and airier.
When I’m done with rest of the cleaning I’m going to finally dive into this month’s magazines.
Tags: my life, my life in photos, technology
Posted by Marianne at 3:30 pm in geekery, my life in photos, my life in words, shopaholic
I think it’s probably accidental, and most likely very short-lived, but it seems that the internet is unblocked at work today! Woohoo. I just had to come and post a pointless blog entry just because I can! Although, as luck would have it, this week is the busiest week of the month, made especially hectic by the fact that I’m off on holiday from Friday onwards, so I don’t seem to have any time for the internet. Bah. Well, at least I’m enjoying the sense of freedom if nothing else.
Two days and three and a half hours left until holiday. Bring it on!
Tags: my life
Posted by Marianne at 2:31 pm in geekery, my life in words
I used to use Pageflakes as my homepage some time ago, but then gave up on it at some point and never really finished customising it properly. I’ve been giving it another try recently, and I must say that this time around I’m very pleased with the layout and functionality. I’ve got pretty much everything I need on one page, apart from some things like dA messages or watch (why no RSS??). One problem I had was trying to find an RSS aggregator that would enable me to create a new feed of all of the blog feeds I follow so I could have them in just one flake. So far the best way I’ve found is through Blogdigger groups, although it does seem a bit lazy updating. But it’ll do for now. One thing I really like about Pageflakes is that you can click on the feeds and read them on the original website as I always want to see blogs in their own environment. There is an inbuilt RSS reader for those who prefer that as well, but I just hate the way readers strip entries of all formatting and design. But yeah, I’m pretty pleased with Pageflakes at the moment and prefer its simplicity and sleek look over Netvibes. The downside is that I found this (tetris-like game) flake which got me completely addicted… It’s so very hard to click that minimising tab…
In other news, Facehunter is in Helsinki at the moment and I’m pretty sure I could detect a higher amount of posers than usual hanging around the centre when walking through the city yesterday… despite the pouring rain. Perhaps I was just imagining it. :P
Tags: social networking, technology
Posted by Marianne at 1:21 pm in geekery, social networking
