Silver & Light

This is breath taking photography, I wish I had a tenth of the tallent I takes to create images like this.

Journey to the Centre of the earth, 8bit Google maps and more.

Seems like everyone wants to be in on the April Fools spirit today, so here is a quick round up of what I've found so far. 

Virgin Volcanic

Ever wanted to go all Jules Verne and travel to the centre of the earth? Well with Richard Branson's latest business venture you can.

"Using patented carbon-carbon materials pioneered for deep space exploration, Virgin is proud to announce a revolutionary new vehicle, VVS1, which will be capable of plunging three people into the molten lava core of an active volcano."

Shame its a prank I'd have booked a ticket for this.

Check out the Virgin Volcanic site for more info.

8bit Google Maps

Google have got into the spirit by giving us an 8bit version of Google maps but as only Google can they haven't just stopped with taking the maps old school, they've thrown in 8bit street view too.

Google Racing

Not content with tweaking maps, Google have also announce a partnership with Nascar to bring its driverless car to the race track.

YouTube on a DVD

For those times when you internet is down but you just have to have your fix of fluffy kittens in a basket or a guy crcking himself in the nuts with a garden rake, YouTube gives you "The YouTube Collection" all of your favourite clips on a DVD.

Apple drops 'thermonuclear' patent bombshell

This one from the register Apple is asserting a patent on the rectangle.

Hats off to all those who have taken the time to prank, and finally here is my favourite of the day.

Assassin's Creed for Kinect Announced!

OMG I've been cloned

Ok don't panic, I haven't been playing in the lab again, what I should have said was that my twitter account has been cloned.

For reasons only known to themselves, maybe boredom or a lack of female or even male company. Someone has decided to go to a great deal of trouble to impersonate me on twitter.

Not only did they use my old profile picture, they even went as far copying my bio details and the url for this blog (woohoo free advertising), but then to add to the strangeness all they seem to have done is retweet me. I should perhaps feel honoured that someone has taken the time to do this, I had know idea I had become so famous that people would want to imitate me.

Although I must admit that when I first noticed the account, once the initial what the f**k moment I could have ripped off their heads. Now after having few hours of thinking about it I find the whole thing funny, but I still can't help wondering who has so little going on in their lives that they only thing they can find to do with their time is impersonate me.

My advice to my clone would be this, step away from your internet connection, leave the house and live a little... preferably your own life not mine.

** foot note ** I have now noticed that I have actually been cloned twice, @selfharmer now has a friend @MartyHarmer seriously get a life.

Steve Jobs

Today the news has broken that the world has lost one of its greatest visionaries.

Though I like so many others never got the chance to meet with Steve in person, I had a feeling I knew him.

When you watched an Apple keynote you felt that Steve was talking directly to you, there are few people on earth that have that kind of gift when it comes to public speaking. Add to this the passion he felt for Apple and its products each keynote took on a feeling of a religious experience, the kind of feeling you get when listening to an evangelist minister.

I'll leave the complete obituary to the main stream press and those who knew Steve well. All I will say is that the world is a different place thanks to Steve's drive and determination to make it better through his vision of how we should use technology. I think President Obama hit the nail on the head in his statement, by saying "there may be no greater tribute to Steve’s success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented".

The legacy of quality products and the company he created in his own image will continue for many years to come, but the world will be a little more empty without Steve Jobs in it.

Rest in peace Steve, my prayers are with your family and friends.

Get your green message across with attitude

Politics Explained

FEUDALISM: You have two cows. Your lord takes some of the milk.

PURE SOCIALISM: You have two cows. The government takes them and puts them in a barn with everyone else's cows. You have to take care of all of the cows. The government gives you as much milk as you need.

BUREAUCRATIC SOCIALISM: You have two cows. The government takes them and put them in a barn with everyone else's cows. They are cared for by ex-chicken farmers. You have to take care of the chickens the government took from the chicken farmers. The government gives you as much milk and eggs as the regulations say you need.

FASCISM: You have two cows. The government takes both, hires you to take care of them and sells you the milk.

PURE COMMUNISM: You have two cows. Your neighbors help you take care of them, and you all share the milk.

RUSSIAN COMMUNISM: You have two cows. You have to take care of them, but the government takes all the milk.

CAMBODIAN COMMUNISM: You have two cows. The government takes both of them and shoots you.

DICTATORSHIP: You have two cows. The government takes both and drafts you.

PURE DEMOCRACY: You have two cows. Your neighbors decide who gets the milk.

REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY: You have two cows. Your neighbors pick someone to tell you who gets the milk.

BUREAUCRACY: You have two cows. At first the government regulates what you can feed them and when you can milk them. Then it pays you not to milk them. Then it takes both, shoots one, milks the other and pours the milk down the drain. Then it requires you to fill out forms accounting for the missing cows.

PURE ANARCHY: You have two cows. Either you sell the milk at a fair price or your neighbors try to take the cows and kill you.

LIBERTARIAN/ANARCHO-CAPITALISM: You have two cows. You sell one and buy a bull.

SURREALISM: You have two giraffes. The government requires you to take harmonica lessons.

Can't remember where I got this from but all credit to the original author

So long and farewell to Facebook?

Like most people I've been quite heavily invested in Facebook for sometime, primarily for keeping in touch with friends and family who live away from home.

However more and more I am finding Facebook to be more of a chore than an easy to use tool. Issues of privacy, the ever increasing size of the add box, peoples bejewelled scores, invitations to play farmville, or attention seeking posts like "can't sleep" or "depressed", frequently mean the posts I am interested in get lost amongst the noise.

Now I know what you are going to say "just unfriend the people responsible for the digital flatulence" but to be honest I am too considerate and don't want to cause anyone any offence.

So I am left with a couple choices :

Stick with a service which irritates me from time to time.

Ditch Facebook entirely and just keep twitter.

Or find something to replace Facebook.

To Google+ or not to Google+

So considering that last point, I've been playing with Google+ for a few weeks now, and I can honestly say I love its clean and functional layout. Google+ is not without its flaws a lack of a native iPad app been one of them, but it has so many great functions and features that make it a worthy adversary for Facebook. I love the lack of pointless games and the fact that I can choose whether the whole world sees my post or just a select circle of friends. Obviously Google+ has many more features which have already been covered by far better bloggers than I so I won't cover old ground.

Suffice to say I think Google are very close to having what some would class as a Facebook killer, I tend to think of it more as a Facebook for grown ups.

So will I switch entirely or use yet another Social Networking tool.... watch this space.

Sun website hacked by LulzSec

While I haven't agreed with all of the sites the Lulzboat has taken aim at, I have to take my hat off to LulzSec for hacking the Sun, never has a more worthy target been hit.

Well played sirs well played

The world did not end – Taxi for Harold Camping!!

So it has now passed 6pm in every time zone on earth and surprise surprise we are all still here.

What can we determine from this total lack of God’s punishment to the sinners of the Earth? I have a few possible suggestions.

1. God decided that we weren’t that bad after all

2. Given that Roland Emmerich marketed the end of the world so well, God though what the hell and has put it off till 2012.

3. The Almighty uses an iPhone and his alarm didn’t go off.

or

4. Harold Camping is infact a scare mongering douchebag.

Doubtless Mr Camping will emerge from under which ever rock he lurks beneath, to give some cosmically divine reason why all good Christians were not raptured to Heaven, leaving the heathens behind to suffer Satan's wrath for eternity. Just like he did in 1994 when predicted the last end of the world, perhaps his divine calculation was slightly out and it’ll be 2028, until then Mr Camping why not just keep your ill informed scare mongering to yourself.

<end of line>

childish humour of the day

MP makes Commons history with iPad

A Labour MP is believed to have become the first politician to deliver a Commons speech using an iPad instead of printed notes.

Kerry McCarthy read her speech from the Apple tablet computer's screen during the third day of debate on last week's Budget.

The Bristol East MP's use of the device follows recommendations by the Commons Procedure Committee that iPads should be allowed in the Chamber.

Ms McCarthy is known in Westminster for her use of technology, with a popular blog and a role as Labour's "Twitter tsar" championing the use of new media.

But her ground-breaking use of the iPad in the Chamber was accidental, caused by repeated editing of her speech as the debate progressed.

She said: "I did have a printed version, but was called so late I started playing around with speech on iPad so read it from there."

Ms McCarthy added that it was "pure coincidence" that she had become the first to use the device.

Writing on Twitter she revealed that the iPad had caused some difficulties when it came to getting her speech in Hansard, the official record of proceedings.

Most MPs will send their notes to the journal's reporters but Ms McCarthy said: "Hansard want my iPad!" She provided Hansard with a paper copy of a "rough draft" of the speech she delivered, during which she accused Chancellor George Osborne of "cutting too far and too fast".

The Procedure Committee said devices no bigger than "a sheet of A4 paper" should be allowed in the Chamber. MPs can use electronic devices to aid memory during debates and send and receive messages under the proposals. But while the committee said the use of smartphones and iPads was allowed, laptops are still banned.

iPad 2 fridge magnet?!?

Not something I intend to try, but as you can see the magnets in the iPad 2 smartcover, are strong enough to hold it to your refrigerator.

Pic from 9to5 Mac

Old technology finds role in Egyptian protests

Fax machines, ham radio and dial-up modems are helping to avoid the net block imposed on Egypt.

On 27 January, Egypt fell off the internet as virtually all international connections were cut following an order from the government.

But older technologies proved their worth as net activists and protesters used them to get round the block.

Protesters are also circulating information about how to avoid communication controls inside Egypt.

Click to read more ...

Ars at Macworld: "Ihnatko Almanac" books to explore Apple tech

Que Publishing, an imprint of Pearson, is launching a new series of books covering Mac and iOS technology in collaboration with veteran tech journalist Andy Ihnatko. Dubbed the "Ihnatko Almanac" series, the books aim to help beginners move beyond basic skills while still engaging more experienced users with an "entertaining, conversational tone."

Ars spoke with Ihnatko at Macworld Expo 2011 to learn more about the new series, which kicks off this spring with The Ihnatko iPad Almanac and followed by The Ihnatko iPhone Almanac and The Ihnatko Mac OS X Lion Almanac.

There are already several other series of books which aim to cover similar topics, so we were curious why Ihnatko wanted to launch his own. "I wanted to create a series that doesn't pigeonhole readers into 'beginners' or 'experts,'" he told Ars. "I wanted the books to be just 200 to 400 pages of good tech writing, designed to be enjoyable to read."

Ihnatko explained that books geared towards beginners are often only useful for just a couple of months, whereas books geared toward advanced users are often too specific or esoteric to be of use to a more general audience. Instead, he wants to make his series more akin to a tech version of classics like The World Almanac and Book of Facts, a book with broad appeal that was often packed with interesting information and encouraged repeat readings to gain new insights.

Ihnatko, a long-time contributor to MacUser and Macworld magazines, has been The Chicago Sun-Times' technology columnist for the last decade. A passionate iOS user, he claimed nothing has transformed his personal and professional life more than the iPhone and iPad, and he's looking forward to sharing his knowledge of the platform with both new and experienced users.

"I'm really pleased to have a chance to help build a new universe of books around stuff I love so much," Ihnatko said, noting that other titles in the series will cover a broad spectrum of Apple hardware, software, and related topics. "But, I don't want the books to be simple references that spend most of the time sitting on a shelf. If the spine isn't creased and cracked after three months, I feel like I didn't do my job," he told Ars

From Arstechnica

Egypt severs internet connection amid growing unrest

The drop in net traffic in Egypt was dramaticInternet connections across Egypt appear to have been cut, as authorities gear up for a day of mass protest.

Click to read more ...

WTF a 17x17x17 Rubiks Cube!!!

Just saw this over at Gizmodo

You would have to be seriously insane to even think about trying to solve this!

  

Comprised of 1539 pieces and roughly 5.5-inches-long in each direction, creator Oskar van Deventer fabricated each individual part using a 3D printer, then he dyed and sorted each piece before assembling it into what your see here. The dyeing and sorting took 10 hours, while the assembling took another five. Hello, tedium!

Apple releases iTunes 10.1.2

Apple today released iTunes 10.1.2, with Apple's download page details noting only that the update offers stability and performance improvements.

About iTunes 10.1.2

iTunes 10.1.2 provides a number of important stability and performance improvements.

A look at the release notes included with the actual download reveals, however, that the update also brings support for syncing the CDMA iPhone set to launch on Verizon early next month.

iTunes 10.1.2 syncs music, movies, and more with iPhone 4 (CDMA model) and provides a number of important stability and performance improvements.

iTunes 10.1.2 is available via Software Update and Apple's iTunes download page.

Introducing the new Skype for Mac

Our friends over at Skype have just released a new version of Skype for Mac. This new version removes the beta label, and introduces group video calling as part of Skype's Premium Package, the update also brings a number of user interface and other improvements.

As mentioned group video calling is now available as part of the Premium package, you can try it out for free for 7 days, and then purchase either a day pass starting at $4.99 (€3.49/£2.99)* or as a monthly subscription for $8.99 (€5.99/£4.99)* per month. New users receive a 7-day free trial.

The applications UI has also been smoothed and tweaked to make it more streamline and compact, allowing you to see more of your conversations without scrolling. We also see the welcome return full screen mode in video calls.

* Pricing is VAT exclusive. Pricing inclusive of VAT for a day pass is $5.74 (€4.01/£3.44) and for a monthly subscription $10.34 (€6.89/£5.74). A fair usage policy applies.

To read the full article check Skype's blog

New Look Apple.com

Looks like the redesign pixies have paid apple.com a visit and given it a funky new menu bar, nothing much else to report really.

Take a look for yourself.

Playstation Phone......... Meh!

Engadget has posted a review of the much awaited Playstation Phone, was it worth the wait?

Well frankly no