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“Ease of use and simplicity for the user” February 15, 2007

Posted by mark in : Design, Telecoms, VoIP, Wireless , add a comment

(Alcatel-Lucent CEO) Pat Russo’s recent interview with the FT struck a chord :

What would you most love to see?

I’d love to see the communications industry tackle ease of use and simplicity for the user. Phones are actually getting more complex.

It’s been said many times before, and reminded me of a quote on Dave Farber’s IP list :

I have always wished that my computer would be as easy to use as my telephone. My wish has come true. I no longer know how to use my telephone — Bjarne Stronstrup (originator of C++ programming language)

AuPix blog February 14, 2007

Posted by mark in : Personal, Telecoms, Video, VoIP , add a comment

AuPix (my day job) started a blog recently, and I may post there occasionally.

Check out John’s posts, once he gets started properly, for insights from a ‘veteran‘ of the video telephony industry.

Long live the real Internet on mobiles February 13, 2007

Posted by mark in : Telecoms, Web, Wireless , add a comment

Word from Dean Bubley at 3GSM, that mobile operators as a whole are finally embracing the ‘real’ Internet…

…Everything else is about taking the real Internet onto mobile (there isn’t, nor ever has been, nor ever will be, a “mobile Internet”).

…is good news for those who support standards-based website design and dislike walled gardens.

Clockwork Orange update February 13, 2007

Posted by mark in : Football, Personal , add a comment

Just back from 5-a-side in the rain, and collecting bruises! Since I last played, we’ve dropped to Divi 4 (of 10), and the pitches have been relaid with rubber granules. I’ve shed them all over the house, but better that than the astro ‘burns’ I got from sand.

Result was 8-8, and I got 2. One, a lovely chip over the keeper. The other bounced off me!

Firefox 3: Support for offline web apps February 12, 2007

Posted by mark in : Calendar, General, Web , add a comment

Apparently Firefox 3 will support offline web apps [via Jason Kottke].

Maybe (with the right ‘add-ons’) it’ll help synchronise my various calendars, without retyping (or needing MS Outlook/ an Apple Mac)?

iScrybe’s offline capabilities sounded interesting in Oct-06, but I didn’t get a beta invite and would rather not be tied to a single company’s app.

37signals: Highrise, not Sunrise February 12, 2007

Posted by mark in : General, Web , 1 comment so far

Finally, a release date is in sight (but not for a few weeks) for Highrise, 37signals’ web-based CRM/ address book (previously named Sunrise). It’s been expected for a long time.

Update: Preview 2: Highrise permissions and groups
Update: Preview 3: Highrise welcome and workspace tabs
Update: Preview 4: Adding people to Highrise and dealing with duplicates
Update: Preview 5: Highrise tasks
Update: Preview 6: Highrise people, companies, and the dashboard
Update: Preview 7: Highrise plays well with email
Update: Preview 8: Highrise Cases

Yahoo! Pipes February 9, 2007

Posted by mark in : Geo, Web , add a comment

Yahoo! Pipes launched this week : a simple visual editor, and the tools for ‘anyone’ to create her own “mashup“. The words GeoRSS caught my eye, as I’d been researching it (and SMIL) last week.

Here’s the Pipes coverage; and I may write more when I’ve had time to read it properly :

3GSM preview from Dean Bubley February 9, 2007

Posted by mark in : Event, Telecoms, VoIP, Wireless , add a comment

Next week is the 3GSM ‘World Congress’ (ie. mobile phone show), and Dean Bubley has a prediction of the hot topics.

Several are familiar from his blog (and others). Rollout of HSUPA sounds like it would (better) enable some interesting services, so I’ll keep an eye out for analysis of that.

UK : Conservative government would scrap ID cards February 6, 2007

Posted by mark in : General, Privacy , add a comment

Via the Open Rights Group :

David Davis has written to Cabinet Secretary, Sir Gus O’Donnell, giving formal notice that an incoming Conservative administration would scrap the Government’s costly ID card project.

…and it links to a list of (Conservative Party) reasons why ID cards aren’t a good idea

Andy Kirkpatrick – “PsychoVertical” February 4, 2007

Posted by mark in : Climbing, Personal, Review , add a comment

Just back from a very entertaining evening at Andy Kirkpatrick’s PsychoVertical show. Several hundred Bristol climbers (and others) in St George’s concert hall, and a 2 hour stream of experiences and laughs. The only ‘gag’ I remember was early on, and due to acoustics and delivery speed, I can’t be sure it’s what he said! :

Climbing’s a bit like masturbation. It’s great when it’s you doing it, but not to hear someone else talk about it for 2 hours.

Anyway, very amusing; and I left with a powerful craving for pizza!