Odds and Ends, Wed 20 Dec 2006

   1. Recently "My Favourite Album" aired on ABC TV:
     < http://abc.net.au/myfavouritealbum/ >
   I own seven of the top ten, including the #1.  Personally I don't like
   it that much, but there are a couple of ok songs on it.

   In past years they've aired "My Favourite Film":
     < http://www.abc.net.au/myfavouritefilm/ >
   and "My Favourite Book":
     < http://www.abc.net.au/myfavouritebook/ >

   2. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery
   a. "Microsoft Rips Off Apple's Workgroup Manager Icon"
     < http://daringfireball.net/2006/12/microsoft_workgroup_manager_icon >
   b. "Google Blatantly Copies Yahoo!?"
     < http://jeremy.zawodny.com/blog/archives/008122.html >

   To spare their blushes the copycats quickly changed their sites, but
   the posts preserve the moment.

   3. Great gift for the office ...
   USB Missile Launcher - Computer-Controlled Desktop Rocket Launcher
     < http://www.kleargear.com/5004.html>
   "The USB Missile Launcher (aka USB Rocket Launcher, USB Air Dart, or
   USB Powered Air Darts) is the state-of-the-art deterrent against those
   bored and aggravating individuals that loiter around your desk when
   there's nothing better for them to do"
   "To defend your desktop from those pesky impostors, all you need to do
   is install the software provided and plug in the Missile Launcher to
   the USB port on your notebook or desktop computer"

   4. "Behind the Scenes at the Microsoft Zune Design Laboratory"
     < http://doodleplex.com/glassmaze/?p=447 >
   Warning: contains slightly colourful (brown) language.
   What a lot of people don't want for Christmas.

   5. "Santas face job risks being cheery: survey"
     < http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200612/s1804117.htm >
   "Santas get sneezed upon up to 10 times a day, fend off children pulling
   their beards and mop up after children who frequently wet their laps,
   the survey of hundreds of men who work as seasonal Santa Claus
   characters says"

   I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
   B!?

iWoz + Lost in a Good Book

   A couple more books that I've just finished reading ...

   1. "iWoz" by Steve Wozniak and Gina Smith
     < http://www.amazon.com/iWoz/dp/0393061434/ >

   This is an autobiography by Steve Wozniak, nicknamed "Woz".  For those
   who don't know, he is one of the Two Steves that founded Apple Computer
   (the other being Steve Jobs, who returned to Apple in 1997 and has been
   CEO ever since).

   For someone who has been into computers for over 20 years, and an Apple
   fan, I found it a very interesting read.  Wozniak has a relaxed, almost
   conversational style (probably aided by the co-author).  Even engineers,
   like, say "like" a lot :)

   It's a very candid book, with the author's primary motivation being to
   set the record straight regarding his life, in particular his time at
   Apple.  While it's clear that he is normally very shy and gentle by
   nature, he developed incredible self-belief and confidence from his
   engineering work.  There's a lot of detail for geeks, but it's not over-
   done.  You can skim over it, but make sure you don't miss all the
   practical jokes he's pulled.  He started early and some of the pranks
   are highly elaborate.

   He doesn't just tell you what happened, but he also offers some of his
   personal philosophy.  For example, he tells us that "the secret to life
   ... is to find a way to be happy and satisfied with your life and also
   to make other people happy and satisfied with their lives" (Chapter 5).
   The book concludes with some "Rules to Live By".  But the style is not
   preachy, rather he just tries to give an honest and truthful account of
   his life, and how he tries to live it.


   2. "Lost in a Good Book" by Jasper Fforde
     < http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Good-Book/dp/0142004030/ >

   This is the second book in the "Thursday Next" Series, and the sequel
   to "The Eyre Affair".  It continues the style established in the first
   book.

   In the process of rescuing Jane Eyre our Heroine, Thursday Next,
   has unfortunately made a lot of enemies.  In this book, they each try
   to exact revenge in their own separate way.  For example, Goliath
   Corporation has conspired with a corrupt ChronoGuard agent to go back
   into time to "eradicate" Thursday's husband, and is blackmailing her
   in return for Goliath's Jack Schitt (no kidding).  In addition to
   trying to get her husband back, Thursday becomes apprenticed to Miss
   Havisham from "Great Expectations", who teaches her a new way to
   transport herself through literature.  And somehow she manages to find
   time to help save the world from being turned into pink slime.

   Another enjoyable read, just as imaginative as the first book in the
   series.  Perhaps a touch of the novelty has worn off for me, so I
   didn't think it was quite as good as "The Eyre Affair".  Amazon readers
   have given it an average rating of 4.5 (out of 5), while the first book
   in the series has an average of 4.  Personally I'd swap the ratings,
   but they're both very good books.

Apple iPhone, Fact or Phantasy?

   Few would argue that Apple's iPod has been a very successful product
   since its launch in October 2001.  By September 2006 over 67 million
   iPods have been sold.  Apple reportedly has 70% of the overall digital
   media player market, and the iPod has been dubbed the "Walkman of the
   21st Century".

   With the annual MacWorld Expo scheduled to start on January 9 2007, many
   industry pundits are speculating what will be the Next Big Thing from
   Apple.  The current favourite is an Apple-made mobile phone, dubbed the
   iPhone.  Apple has never officially declared its intention to enter the
   mobile phone market.  Unlike some of its rivals, Apple very rarely pre-
   announces upcoming products.  Instead Apple prefers to maintain a cult
   of secrecy, making surprise announcements of new products just prior to
   their release.  This approach seems to have helped fuel a whole host of
   rumour web sites and blogs, devoted to speculating on Apple's future
   products.

   Here's a selection of the more interesting iPhone-related sites:

   * MYiPhone, the unofficial iPhone weblog
     < http://www.myiphone.com/ >

   * Everything iPhone
     < http://www.everythingiphone.com/ >
     Includes a gallery of Photoshopped iPhones:
     < http://www.everythingiphone.com/iphone-photo-gallery/ >

   * iPhoneFreak
     < http://www.iphonefreak.com/ >

   * iPhone concept blog
     < http://appleiphone.blogspot.com/ >

   Wild speculation from self-declared rumour sites is understandable.
   Even if the iPhone never sees the light of day, such sites at least
   provide some entertainment value.  But when "analysts" and news sites
   join in the frenzy, you have to question their credibility.

   Some sites have been tracking the iPhone phenomenon with a rather
   sceptical eye.  Tao of Mac has a list of articles dating back to 2002:
     < http://the.taoofmac.com/space/iPhone >

   The site's author outlines his thoughts on why it is unlikely that Apple
   would release a mobile phone any time soon.  I tend to agree.  However
   stranger things have happened.  I'm sure there have been several
   internal projects within Apple that could be similar to the mythical
   iPhone.  A large proportion of prototypes in Apple's labs never make it
   to production.  Here are a couple of links with photos of such
   prototypes:

   * The Apple Museum: Protoypes
     < http://www.theapplemuseum.com/index.php?id=45 >

   * Apple Prototypes: 5 Products We Never Saw
     < http://www.applegazette.com/mac/httpwwwapplegazettecomwp-
         adminpostphpactioneditpost272/ >
   Note that #2 is "Apple Videophone PDA".

   More Photoshopped Apple prototypes are collected at:
     < http://www.theapplecollection.com/design/macproto/ >

   Interestingly, just prior to the announcement of the iPod, many rumour
   sites were convinced that Apple would be releasing a PDA (Personal
   Digital Assistant).  One site even gave it a name, iWalk.  So when
   Apple announced the iPod at a special media event, many news sites and
   analysts, were underwhelmed, e.g. "No iWalk, just an iPod":
     < http://www.geek.com/news/geeknews/2001oct/mac20011023008486.htm >
   Some of the comments are quite amusing in retrospect.

   So, what new products will Apple release in 2007?  The iPhone?  An iPDA?
   An iTablet (a tablet PC)?  One product that Apple has pre-announced for
   2007 has the internal code name "iTV", which is a set-top box:
     < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ITV_(Apple) >

UPDATE:
* An iPhone is launched on December 18, not by Apple but by Linksys:
   Surprise iPhone launch

* Timeline of Apple "iPhone" Rumors (1999-Present)

Two Novels and a Film

   Since the last B-List post I finished reading two more books and watched
   a classic film at the cinema.  I've spent very little time in front of
   computers ;)

   Note: Some of links may contain spoilers.  But if you have neither the
   time nor the opportunity to read the books or see the film, then by all
   means check out the links.

   Novel #1: "The Eyre Affair" by Jasper Fforde
     < http://www.amazon.com/Eyre-Affair-Jasper-Fforde/dp/0142001805/ >
   Jane Eyre, the main protagonist from the novel of the same name, is
   kidnapped.  How is this possible?  In a parallel world a resourceful
   inventor has devised a Prose Portal which allows people to literally
   step into the pages of any piece of literature.  The Prose Portal falls
   into the hands of Acheron Hades, a really Bad Guy, and he gets the idea
   of kidnapping characters from books in return for ransom.

   I found it a thoroughly entertaining read, filled with imaginative and
   amusing characters and situations.  There are more novels in the series,
   and I look forward to reading them soon.

   For more about the plot, read the Amazon page, or the following
   Wikipedia entry:
     < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Eyre_Affair >

   If, like me, you're not familiar with "Jane Eyre", this entry has
   some helpful background on that novel:
     < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Eyre >


   Novel #2: "Chart Throb" by Ben Elton
     < http://www.amazon.co.uk/Chart-Throb-Ben-Elton/dp/059305749X/ >
   This is a satire of the Pop Idol/X-Factor phenomenon, wherein the Prince
   of Wales, yes Charles Philip Arthur George Windsor himself, becomes the
   most unlikely "pop idol" ever.  I'm not giving the ending away, since
   this challenge is set for the producer of the show very early in the
   book, and the plot reveals how this is achieved.  In the process, the
   shonky and contrived world of reality "talent" shows is exposed.

   I wish I could say I enjoyed the book.  Sure, it had its moments, and
   there is an interesting twist at the end.  If you're familiar with Ben
   Elton's other work you know what you're in for. But I found almost all
   the characters very cliched, and the story rather predictable and
   repetitive.  I didn't find any of the characters particularly endearing.
   Perhaps that's what the author intended?  I might have enjoyed it more
   if it was edited down from 400+ pages to around 200 pages, and some of
   the plot improved.

   Looks like some reviewers didn't think much of the novel either:
     < http://books.guardian.co.uk/digestedread/story/0,,1958726,00.html >


   Finally, the Film: "L'avventura" ("The Adventure")
     < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%27Avventura >
   This is a 1960 Italian film written and directed by Michelangelo
   Antonioni.  It won the Special Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival
   when it was released.  It was shown last Saturday as part of the
   2006 Italian Film Festival in Adelaide.

   It doesn't really matter if you know the plot before seeing it, since,
   unlike most Hollywood movies, there is much more to the film than
   the plot.  A very unforgettable film that will reveal more of itself
   with each viewing.  I can't wait for the DVD :)

   According to Roger Ebert,
     < http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19970119/
         REVIEWS08/401010338/1023 >
   "His characters were parasites whose money allowed them to clear away
   the distractions of work, responsibility, goals and purposes, and
   exposed the utter emptiness within. It is possible to be rich and
   happy, of course, but for that you need a mind, and interests. It is
   impossible to be happy simply because one is ceaselessly entertained.
   L'Avventura becomes a place in our imagination--a melancholy moral
   desert."

   Interestingly, this analysis is consistent with the theme in the
   Affluenza book I read.  Perhaps Antonioni was ahead of his time?
   Or maybe people never learn from the missteps of others?

   The film is also an interesting companion piece to Federico Fellini's
   "La Dolce Vita", released in the same year (1960):
     < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Dolce_Vita >