PushingJelly

Anyone who knows me well will tell you I am quite a sceptical guy. I don’t believe in any form of mysticism including (but not exclusively) any religion, magic, psy or anything else that cannot be explained by science.

I will entertain the idea that science does not have all the answers. Breakthroughs are being made everyday that previous generations would have said were acts of wizadry or gods. However the things that we don’t understand are just that. I think I have quoted Clark’s “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” before but I think it is very true.

Some time ago, I was visiting the local mall in Romford, Essex called the Brewery to see a fim. Through the windows was a spectacular view of a glorious sunset. I thought I’d take a picture of the sunset with my new iPhone so I snapped a shot. My son, Adam also took a picture with his Nokia 8500 phone.

It was only when I reviewed the picture later I discovered there were some dots on the image which were also on Adams picture.

I don’t think they are lens aberrations or reflections on the window as both my and Adam’s pictures were taken from different positions and heights.

Doing a little research on the net it looks like this is not a unique phenomenon,

Google

Wiki

Islington

Belgium

Texas

It goes on and on.

In my utopian dream world (something along the same lines as the one dreamed by Gene Roddenberry), when an abundant free energy source was found and we no longer driven by commercial concerns, everyone and everything would just work with each other to make the world (and space) a better place.

Standards would be open and adhered to. we would all use the best operating system because that was the one that everyone used and worked hard to make better. It wouldn’t matter if it cost more to produce because everyone would benefit in the long run.

Applications would talk to each-other and devices would too without the encumbrance of competing formats and incompatibilities – there would be one document format, one image format etc. and if a more efficient way was found to store data THE formats would be updated accordingly for the good of all.

It is the reality of microsoft and apple’s control of the marketplace that is forcing us all to look to the open world of the internet for our next paradigm in computing.

The cloud (as it is known) is the next battleground in the format war with Google taking an early lead but Microsoft preparing to exert its will on the net with Office Online. MS have previously had difficulty with their transition to an internet company (with the exception of hotmail of course which was already immense when they purchased it for $400 in 1997) and the industry is waiting to pass judgement on the new product.

Apple too seem to be preparing for an assault with the purchase of a massive new data-centre to host it’s cloud offerings (me.com was just the start) and the (apparently) imminent launch of a web tablet device.

The iPad (or whatever they will call it) will be reminiscent of Mr Roddenberry’s star ship bound devices but once again market forces are restricting the usefulness of the applications to be found there on because unless we all pledge allegiance to the fruit, we are again left with a choice between Apple’s OS, Google Android, MS Windows Mobile, Palm PreOS, Symbian and the many others. None talking to each other, the wealth of applications from one unavailable to others and the underground market of un-sanctioned applications confusing things further.

Even the much lauded Android is still owned by a commercial concern with restrictions on use built into it’s Ts and Cs.

It is the next generation mess caused by the same old companies. It sucks.

So much for capitalism, so much for the free market economy – at the end of the day the user communities suffer and the biggest corporate wallets win.

Well tonight a young lady in internet land said the phrase I have been waiting and dreaming all my life for: “that’s way too big for me”.

Alas, she was referring to the size of my jigsaw puzzle on OMGPOP not any thing else but we can dream can’t we.

OMGPOP.com is a ruthlessly adictive multiplayer game site that hosts a number of flash type games that multiple players. My opponent ducked out of round 9 of the jigsaw game because I had set it to 10×10 pieces and this was obviously a bit too much work.

Also on there is a bomber man clone, Mario cart clone and many others, well worth a visit.

I was faintly amused by the headline on the Guardian website – ‘The Times they are a charging’, of course in reference to Mr Murdoch’s plan to charge for content on NI’s websites.

I have always firmly held the belief that if you restrict access to content on websites, either by unpaid subscription or worst still paid subscription, it is a sure fire way to drive visitors to a) your competitors sites b) to bootleg the information or c) away.

When the afore mentioned Guardian site tried enforced registration for their site, a black market sprung up with pre-registered user accounts to log-in with so the visitor didn’t have to leave their personal info to be spammed at a later date. They have always been a little ahead of the NI sites in regard to their use of new technology and techniques.

It didn’t work for them and it will (in my humble opinion anyway) will fail for NI. I occationally visit the Times site. It is looking a bit old nowadays and the BBC have better content, however due to some small amount of loyalty to the company, I go on the site to look at content that we produce in the studio and to look at the normally good web/tech section.

I wouldn’t however pay for the privilege, or at least the content on the site would have to be a whole lot more compelling to make me put my hand in my pocket.

I wish them luck, I think they are going to need it.