Pixar’s Up in 3D / The Java Tarradiddle

I can now say, with some degree of self importance, that I have seen Pixar’s UP in 3D!  Great film with an unusual and emotional story, of course stunning animation and a whole lot of stunning scenery.  Watching it in 3D made the whole thing that more special.  Being a 3D virgin I was transfixed by the effect which was mindblowing.

First worry is that this is going to be another fad like Stereovision was in the sixties, second worry is the amount of energy that is expended on producing the glasses and third worry is that it causes headaches as my eyes were hurting by the end of the movie.  Moaning over, it was well writen and a definite recommendation.

I don’t tend to write film reviews as I don’t really watch that many films, although I love watching films and talking about them, there isn’t much chance for me to sit down and watch one from end to end.  I am, next Monday, going to watch the entire LoTR trilogy in a Tolkien fest of epic proportions.  After all that’s what half term’s are all about?

Tori and I have started a blog called the Java Tarradiddle, a coffee lovers guide to coffee shops in Exeter, books to read whilst drinking coffee and cafe society in general.  It’s a project that I hope might take off, or it’ll descend in to something else.  Like this blog, I am sure it’ll evolve in to a wider greater encompassing project, rather then jottings in a cafe.

Work looms tomorrow, but then next week I have off and a party weekend next week too with two birthday bashes and an Apple and Pumpkin Festival in Ide on Sunday.  Bring on ‘em Apples.

Review of a Disgo Net Browser 3000 / 64MB / 2GB / 7″ / Windows CE / Netbook

It never bodes well for any subject when after starting a review, you save the first few paragraphs and save your progress only to find it has dissappeared.  So lets start again.

Welcome to the world of the Disgo Net Browser. If it was a TV program?, well, it’s a little like Narnia, but more like Shameless or Silence of The Lambs depending on what you’re trying to do with it.

So let’s try and be objective, put aside the fact that it runs an aging operating system, it feels cheap and whines like a very tiny mouse sized jet engine.  Let’s also put aside that it starts almost instantly and has 4 hours battery life, that the screen is clear and compact and that it is as light as a paperback book nearly the same size.

What we have here is an attempt to bring a large degree of functionality on a platform designed for embedded systems.  Windows CE 5.0 is based on technology that has been around for 10 years or more. Do you remember the CE 2.11 device the IBM Workpad Z50? It was designed to be a thin client corporate notebook which would give users all the tools of the office in a small CE environment, so the idea and indeed the tech is not new.

So where exactly does the Disgo Net Browser 3000 fit in? It would be unfair to sit here and compare it to a netbook like the Acer Aspire One as it simply doesn’t match to an XP system. So what do we compare it to?  Think 1999, think the bastard child of a copy of Po Bronson’s The First Twenty Million Is Always The Hardest and the HP Jornada handheld PC which was produced up to 2002.

What does it do?.  Pocket Internet Explorer, WordPad, 2GB internal flash memory, 244mHz ARM processor, Word Viewer, Excel Viewer, PDF Viewer, Coreplayer (for watching YouTube), Flash Player for watching .swf files.  And thats it. oh and an email client which is arse.  There are rumours you can port Ubuntu on to it.
Cable connectivity, USB ports for keyboard and a mouse and  USB port for a memory stick or external HD (Western Digital MyPassports work with it).
Internet Explorer has the ability to change the ‘user agent’ from Pocket PC, XP and default Windows CE.  It also has WordPad which means you can do very basic word processing too.

Anything else? It is cheap.  HMV and Maplins sell it for £99.99, Play.com sell it for £94.99.  It is designed to browse the internet, yet its version of IE is to say the least primitive.  It won’t display flash based websites and larger graphics hungry sites don’t always display correctly. So the concept is already flawed.  Although saying that comments from forums across the internet are saying it won’t let you check Hotmail accounts, however Gmail seems to work fine.

It feels cheap.  Although by definition a machine that retails for so little won’t exactly be entirely fashioned out of brushed metal, (although the brushed metal effect is attractive) I noticed that the front of the keyboard bowed in the middle as if it had melted a bit.
It has bugs.  If I saved this article, it would not be here when i turn it back on.  This is obviously a flaw which needs fixing but for now everything is saved on a memory stick. If this is meant to happen, then without sounding a ‘hip’ WTF?

What doesn’t it do? The feeling that I get with this machine, is that the board of Disgo got together with a few bottles of wine, possible a sketch pad, a microscopic budget and a few evil laughs, then decided to create a machine for a niche in the market that is slowly closing up with the cheap linux machines, EEE PCs which can do more and store more.

The PDF viewer won’t view things it should view, for example a bus timetable comes out in squiggles and symbols, MSN messenger is temperamental and as said IE is slow and doesn’t always display things as they should, also the keys are so sensitive typos are pandemic no matter how carefully you type.  Third party downloads won’t load either, although there is not really that much out there that would install anyway (what else would you need though?)

So why exactly should you buy it? What exactly does this bizarre machine hold for consumers?
The main selling point of this machine is the fact you can view web pages, although they market it as ‘basic’ internet browsing, compared to IE8/Firefox, it is primitive but if you are moving up from a device such as a Jornada 720 or a NEC Handheld PC the browsing is a drastic improvement.  Coming up from a Jornada 690, it’s bliss.  What saves this machine is the weight, size, TFT screen and battery life of 4 hours. And the price tag.

Despite the criticisms, what do you expect for £100?  The HP Jornada originally retailed for over £500, it could do a bit more, but it could not be really compared to a laptop.  This machine is a companion to anyone who already has a laptop or a desktop PC and needs something very basic to carry around with them, even netbooks weigh enough for you to know about it, but this machine is so light that you can put it in your briefcase or satchel and not really know it’s there.

Anyone that buys a Disgo Net Browser should embrace its limitations, remember the foibles and try to understand a machine that can be misunderstood.  You cannot compare it to a laptop, and if you are used to Handheld PCs such as the Jornada range you will find this machine easier to figure out.  If you are expecting a fully functioning laptop then you will be disappointed.  If you want a small machine for writing on, for a bit of browsing and watching the odd YouTube video then this machine is for you. Coffee shop web browsing and a bit of posing? Just remember to cover the ‘Disgo’ logo.

Quake Wars and Distressing Chilli

After getting an itch the other day, I took some old games down to Entertainment Exchange and decided I wanted to rebuy Civilization 4.  So I did.  Got back home and found it didn’t work.  So I took it back and got Quake Wars.  It was a big mistake as I have been hooked to it all weekend.  It is truly amazing, with a revolutionary new game engine and some really well thought out and highly developed features, this is a stunning FPS.  The online option lets you take part in online team battles, specialising in a number of roles from Medic to Covert Ops.  A definite must get for anyone that likes Counter Strike or Unreal.

So the Oscars are on and I get that tinge of remorse as people go crazy.  How did Bukowski put it in his poem Dinosauria, we, “Into a place where the masses elevate fools into rich heroes” Am I a sceptic?  I’d be an optimist to say yes.
I’ve not been happy today, a sense of loss, a sensation of incompleteness.  Aggrevated at everything that happens, I think the making of a distressing chilli was the thing that pushed me over the edge.  I overcooked the rice and made a hideous mess which stressed me out immensely, hence ‘distressing chilli’.
Tomorrow might be better but I doubt it.

Moving to my own server / Shameless

I am going to start this post off with a recommendation.  www.freehostia.com is a great little hosting service that lets you create your own website and has an easy-peesy php script installation tool for installing those much loved applications such as WordPress.  Even better, you can get it for free with a not too stingy level of bandwidth per month and a good level of support.

Recommendation over.  I have decided, wise or not I am not sure, to try and get this blog off the WordPress servers and on to my ‘own’ server.  It’d be even better if I had my own server hidden under the stairs or something but alas I am not that technically capable and Laura would have triplets if I started hoiking in bits of PC and server and started trying to attach it to the wall.

So far the experiment has gone OK, but after trying to export all of the posts, only half of them are actually appearing.  In fact only 2007 appears at the moment.  So, in between trying to play Uplink, writing poetry and doing domestic type things this evening, I might get around to continuing my forays in to this wild and uncharted territory.

My creative juices have dried up quite badly.  Everytime I try and sit down and write something poetic, I just clam up.  It’s almost a strange case of stage fright, I guess it’s ‘pen fright’ or ‘keyboard fright’.  Big happiness at seeing the new series of Shameless start yesterday.  E4 sneak peak showed the next one straight afterwards so I have seen next weeks too.  Weird how they do that, must improve ratings.  I know that Channel 4 has been losing money on E4 and More4 for quite some time now (source: Can’t remember) so I expect they’re trying to scrape back revenue.

David Threlfall was fantastic as Frank again, and it looks like he’s directing it too.  Big highlight was his monologue when Debbies jilted policeman husband was holding a gun to him.
I love the way the whole concept and programme has evolved from the first series, the character development is really good.  It is also impressive that they have managed to integrate two new families in to the plot seamlessly, which I guess reflects real life in a way.

As a reflection on real life, is Shameless true to the characters they are depicting?  Some reckon so, others not so. But as an entity in it’s own right it is a modern day classic.

Gordon Ramsays Kitchen Nightmares – Morbid curiousity

As a vegetarian and a bit of a lefty rebel, I am programmed not to like Gordon Ramsay and his slightly macho persona.  However, last night saw the return of Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares which for me is like watching a car crash and then feeling satisfied afterwards.  Haha, no I don’t get off on watching accidents but there is always a morbid curiousity if you ever see one on the motorway and this is just that.
Despite his acerbic opinions about Vegetarians and anyone vaguely left of the central barometer, he makes for compelling viewing and kind of reminds me of my stepdad in a sort of macho, down to eart way.  There he goes, whipping lazy chefs in to shape, ruffling as many feathers as possible and promoting ‘fine dining’.  OK so he is effectively a consultant who comes in and just transforms the entire business regardless of what people think, but the man actually knows what he’s talking about (at least it’s edited that way).
It was interesting last night because the series kicked off with Allan Love, big name of stage and screen (before my time?) and his failing Oyster restaurant.  However it was edited, it gave the impression that Ramsay actually could turn off the big man switch when Love frequently broke down in tears, and frankly I felt that there was more to him that was let on.
Whipped up the staff with motivational excersises and just generally saved the day, minus a few episodes of drama which always makes for good telly.
Afterwards, it all changed and they settled on Fish and Chips scrapping the Oyster menus etc.  And Ramsay saves the day again.

So, that was really the most television that I will ever watch all week, but it did leave me with the dream of running my own veggie restaurant.  But as usual, it all looks easier then it really is and I have no experience so that leaves me at a bit of a disadvantage.  Plus I can’t cook.

http://www.lovesrestaurant.co.uk/ 

Update II and Richard Littlejohn, Liberal basher.

Well I went to the hospital and saw one of the skin cancer nurses, and she said that she thought it best to have the mole removed.  So on Monday, I am going to go in to Abbey Ward as a day patient for 8:00am, first on the list under local anaesthic I’ll have it whipped off.  Although it hasn’t gone black and lumpy like the last one, it is looking slightly different to how it was.  More multidigit crossing that it isn’t melanoma.
I remember what I looked like with the first two operations, my head was a mess of dried blood and staples everywhere, keeping my scalp in place as I terrorised little kids in Sainsburys.  Proper Boris Karloff. 
I imagine I’ll be off work for a few days so I imagine I will spend my time resting my back and praying that the mole is nothing nasty.  Anyway, enough about that.

I saw a really interesting documentary by Richard Littlejohn, interesting because it had been manipulated beyond belief (what else do you expect from him).  It was called something like, The War against Jews (Channel 4) or similiar and throughout the whole programme he has a pop at nearly anyone he can.  So, the documentary was about Anti Semetism in the UK, which is supposedly creeping up in terms of number of reported incidents and occurances.  OK that’s fine, but throughout the course of the documentary, he starts attacking the Left-wing liberal side of society, declaring them to be anti-semetic.
His evidence?  The 2 week spat between Lebanon and Israel.  Littlejohn says that the lefties are anti semetic because they were protesting against Israels action against the innocent people of Lebanon.  Innocent because Israel were attacking civilian targets in Lebanon, despite claiming (without evidence) they were Hizbollah targets.  Of course Littlejohn forgot this important piece of information.  He just showed a group of anti war protestors marching around without a whole lot of direction.

I will stop there or this will turn in to a messy polemic.  I have somethine else intelligent to say but have since forgotten what it was…gah..

*goes away and has a green tea*

Smashing Pumpkins – Zeitgeist: God: Life

Well, I thought that it was coming out on the 7th July but Zeitgeist (the new one) is coming out on Monday. Everyone said its like Gish, and it is in a way. The previews on iTunes don’t really do it justice but I like the sound of Corgan and his cronies (minus Iha and D’Arcy though, but Jimmy is still his drum bitch) in this comeback. Weird how brands follow a generation.
I guess bands are like brands, take McDonalds, they get you in at an early age with their kids meals and their parties with jelly and burgers. As an adult you remember all the good times you had at McDonalds, and in turn you take your kids their and still go there as an adult. Bands work in the same way, they inspire nostalgic thoughts of getting stoned on your best mates patio whilst listening to lets say, Smashing Pumpkins, so when you get to an age where experimenting with drugs can’t really be deemed an excuse to get stoned, you put them or anyother band on and you get all nostalgic and teary eyed about how you got the munchies and mistook some lactic chocolate for mars bars with comic and humourous results (for everyone else). This means that when the band reform, all these late twenty/thirty somethings get all nostalgic and start buying your records. They maintain your devotion to the brand/band.

This can also be applied in religous terms, but this tends to be called brainwashing, as your children often grow up to accept things that you believe in and take comfort from the same things that you used to take comfort in, like church or God or any other theist agenda..ahem..religion.

That was nearly a rant, it started off as a nice little observation but nearly ended up being a blasphemous rant against theism. Anyone who has studied Theosophy knows the religion is a failed attempt to reach the ‘absolute’ anyway, so their all wasting their time.

Spent a happy day being boring and going in to town with Kathleen, doing some jobs, chavspotting (3 fatties, 6 smokey golden wonders, 3 track twats), flourescent bulb buying, typical Saturday.  I am currently putting off the inevitable bathroom cleaning. Its not going to take too long but I have to do the dishes too. Chores, chores, chores. Do you know that Chore is an anagram of ochre. Now you do.

The First and only “First Entry”

I always feel that a blog is like an empty house.  The first entry is always like stepping in to an empty room which has acres of space to fill with words.  So lets start.

I have been mentally preoccupied with three things.  Babies, trains and Theosophy.  I am a closet trainspotter (not anymore) but I feel this reflects my desire for order, function and output, rather then an unhealthy obsession with things with wheels.  I say to Laura, “well at least it’s not buses?!”  She found a rail magazine I bought, and compared it to porn.  It is a dirty secret that I used to be utterly ashamed of, but now, couldn’t care less. 

Well, lets give an update as to my cancerous situation.

For those that don’t know, then I have a form of lung cancer which is a direct result of having skin cancer two years ago.  Lastest scan showed that it had not moved since March, so I am crossing multiple digits that it doesn’t get ideas and thinks of going other places or growing.  I found out yesterday that one of my favourite lecturers has cancer (Lymphoma?) By the sounds of it, its a lot worse then what I have.  I can only imagine what must be going through her head, although same sort of things that are going through mine but Adrian said that hers had spread through her body (which sounds graver then mine).  I wish her every chance of recovery (although I don’t know a huge amount about her type of cancer), and hope that she has every moment of every day to do exactly what makes her happy.

Even in my slightly crap position, there is always someone worse off then me.

I am to go back up to the Royal Marsden for a three month scan on September 27th, and then we can see if it has moved or grown or miraculously dissappeared!  OK the final one is a bit too lucky but, you never know!  Although I could have treatment in Exeter, I feel better about having it in London as the care there is the best that I could get in my current state.

I saw one of the brand new Hanson Class 66’s this morning pulling a rake of Hansom reballasters.  It is sad, so feel free to mock me next time you see me.