Apple is busy PWNING everyone

Some of you may have noticed that Apple has been busy owning Adobe and Google as of late.  This has been getting up quite a few people’s noses – one of the Developers at Adobe on theflashblog wrote:

Now let me put aside my role as an official representative of Adobe for a moment as Speaking purely for myself, I would look to make it clear what is going through my mind at the moment. Go screw yourself Apple.

Now some of you will be thinking that Adobe has every right to be angry at Apple, as Apple are making it as hard as possible for Adobe to even look at the iPhone OS, let alone execute any Adobe related code on it.  Well I look at it from the consumers POV.  Flash is the number one source of browser problems, this is slightly different to how Jobs worded it,

Most of the time if a Mac crashes it is because of Flash in Safari

it is different because I don’t have knowledge of why Macs crash and if a browser plug in can ruin the whole system that is poor programming.  This being said I do realise that the biggest problem in the browser and the most unreliable part is almost always flash.  I use one of the most stable browsers about – Chrome, and I use just Flash, no extensions, no addons not even a theme. Yet at least once in my browsing session I am likely to introduced to some instability and this is ALWAYS due to flash.  So from a user point of view the web browser on the iPad is more stable and reliable than the web browser on my desktop.  I know which I would prefer to use.  It isn’t like Apple wants to restrict access to interactive content through the browser, far from it, this sort of Web Application makes the iPhone OS more valuable.  No, Apple wants it’s mobile OS to be the most stable around and until Adobe can sort out it’s act and fix these stability issues I don’t see Apple EVER even considering adding flash to iPhone OS.  Ever. Did I make my self clear here?

Another fight that has been hotting up recently we have less information about.  The Google vs. Apple war that has been waging since Google started to really promote Android with the “Droid” release.  Dr. Eric Schmidt has fallen further out of grace with Apple CEO Steve Jobs recently after a phone call made a few days ago to the Google CEO by Jobs, 9to5Mac reports.  At the end of this call the Schmidt lost composure and looked “weird”, I have a feeling that Steve is about to drop Google and possibly move to Bing services from Microsoft instead.  This was rumoured a while ago, but to me this is some more concrete evidence.

So at the end of this who is quids in?  Well, I would say the consumer.  Apple is continually trying make it’s platform the best, be it keeping up with the competition with Google’s Android, or fending off companies that could ruin the user experience in some of their flagship products – which by the way happily promotes things like HTML5, a huge competitor and good replacement to Flash.  Well done Jobs, Microsoft is a friend well done for spotting the real enemies here.

One last note:  When you buy a product like the iPhone you know you are joining a closed environment and you know what you are getting yourself in for and you can remain cautious..  When you buy or use products from an open company, trusting them with your data and personal information, remember that they may not be the same smiling – trustworthy – company tomorrow.

As Always,

graymalkin

Zune Phone?

Many tech journalists, like Paul Thurrott, have speculated that there will be a new Windows Mobile phone released with a “Zune like interface”  well in the latest 4.2 release to the PC software there is a new line at the bottom of one of the configuration files indicating that the new device is on it’s way.  Is this Microsoft letting a test boat out into open waters, or was this just a silly mistake by one of the interns?  Only time will tell, but if this is indeed a Zune Phone that is on it’s way, this Blogger wants

^^Image:  The line in the configuration file

As always,

graymalkin

First Post Of the NEW YEAR! Running Light

So I ordered some stuff off ebay the other day so I could do some cool Arduino projects, the first one I did was a simple running light, the lights move along.  I have put a video on youtube and the code is HERE.

 

Very simple, next up – THE SHIFT REGISTER!  Dun dun deern, Queue dramatic chick monk / prairie dog.

Memory deserves it

I used my iPod stand for the memory stick… it deserves it I feel.

Google DNS Tested

I have been testing Google’s DNS services recently, it seems very solid.  My main reasons for using it over my ISP’s default DNS services is that I don’t want a 404 search page, where I get a page of adverts and some search results presented to me when I ping or navigate to a web page that doesn’t exist.

I heard that Steve Gibson had made a DNS bench mark too for Windows in assembler, it is about 150Kbs,  the results for google are very good, this is a representation of the speed from the program. The top result, 194.168.4.100 is Virgin Media’s secondary DNS server, it is the fastest but does the 404 search thing

 

Bwa hahahah – bunny got owned!

Shot these photo of my sister’s rabbit this morning, it got owned!!!

 

Are Microsoft Finally letting go of Windows XP?

Nearly 3 Years from the launch of XP’s successor and nearly 8 years since the Windows XP launch Microsoft seem to be begining to move towards Windows Vista and Windows Seven as their primary developments Systems, leaving XP behind in their development cycles

While Pivot is only a Live Labs project I feel that this is a profound move for the software giant, the choice to leave XP behind is possibly what Windows Seven needs to take off in business and with gamers.  It could be argued that there is aren’t many reasons to switch if you are happy with the OS you are on, and I would agree, but a lack of modern software may see people moving OS.  It is worrying for me though as it could also be a rod for Microsoft’s aging back.  People are more and more often going towards Apples beautiful hardware and staying on OSX.  The actions Microsoft takes here in it’s old age could prove to be rash and jeopardise it’s future to being an IBM like company – making money but not really that interesting.

Time will tell

Office 2010 is here

Some screen shots of Office 2010 beta 1.

Physics Fail

 

V = Delta x / Delta T, this could be >0, = to 0, or < 0

 

SO ANY NUMBER RIGHT?!

Wow, a 10 minute feature

Ace, that feature lasted about 10 minutes.  Knarly

Why me?!

It would seem I have been chosen by twitter for a Beta RT program, cool!

Multitasking mania

I wanted to test Windows Seven’s ability to manage many applications on a reasonably low powered machine, so I launched some of my development programs, all of office 2007, iTunes (playing some metal), and a whole host of other applications, the results were impresive.  Although performance did take a large hit from all that memory and CPU usage it did not crash and things ran rather smoothly, here is a screen shot of the task manager running on top of all the other windows

As Always,

graymalkin

Some new music to program too…

For a long time now I have advocated that fast heavy music helps me type, think and program.  Perhaps it is only because my mother played it to me as a baby (did she mis-hear that Beethoven is what makes babies smart?)

Now I program away while listening to System Of A Down, or Cradle of Filth – and so on.  Today we got some new music, two System of a Down albums, the new Megadeth album and some more Metallica (7 of 9 are owned now…)

It perhaps has escaped your attention why this is important and I am blogging about it, to be honest there isn’t much reason than to add some personality to a not so popular blog.  I am really only writing this so any readers out there know a little more about me as a person.  I will try to follow this post up with similar posts giving some meaning to who I am and what I like and what I do with my time.

As Always,

graymalkin

Space Cadet Pinball for Windows – 7?

Disapointingly in Windows version 6.1.x (Vista + Seven) Microsoft have put pinball down after many years of Windows Feature service,  Now though it can be played once more in modern versions of windows.  Well sort of.  I have been running Windows NT in a VM and set Pinball as a start up item.  Now I have pinball for my modern OS!  I am a happy boy.

Here is a nice screen shot for you

 

 

As Always,

graymalkin

Image heavy blog

CAUTION – the blog you are viewing is java intensive.  It uses many images too.  If you are viewing this on an under powered machine your computer may explode!  I repeat, because you can’t go back and read it again – your computer may explode.  This blog crashed IE 6 on a school computer, it may do the same to you.  In about a month – or if you had to scroll to view this – it won’t matter because if you can scroll the blog hasn’t killed you.  Too late for those other bastards though.  I encourage you to laugh evilly at this point.

What the..

In what situation would you click this button?!  It is a button to say – no, actually I don’t like my peripherals to work properly.  WTF Microsoft – silly button, take it out for Windows Eight.

State of the British economy

Granddad + nail painting != fashion statement

Ok, so my sister asked my Granddad if he wanted his nails painted, but him being stubborn would not refuse the challenge, here are the results (he did only allow one hand to be painted though :( )

I will email this one to all the family

 

Hmmm Guinness

Up, running, and not noticing a thing!

While this title may seem like I am dissing Windows Seven it is actually one of the biggest products I can make.  The thing Just works!  I have had no problems at all and I am enjoying some of the features, but there is a cool desktop background!

 

I have the disk…

To my surprise I have just received and unpackaged the Windows Seven box, I took some photos along the way for your benifit.  There isn’t too much that can be said, it seems quite bare, they have made the box in the odd curved shape again but it opens in the traditional manor.  It would seem that Microsoft weren’t sure them selves about the release nature of Windows Seven in Europe as the disk box itself is in a card sleeve that looks like it was designed for easy changing.  Also there is little literature inside, but I have the full version (by sheer luck) and all for £50.  There was only a small A5 booklet in the form of reading material.  Also, as promised, the package includes both 32 and 64 bit versions of the OS.  I know which I will be installing!

It is worth noting that I won’t be rushing to install it as I might as well continue with my very stable 7100 install with all the goodies from Ultimate.  Not that functionally there will be any difference to me as a user I feel that it is worth my while just to let time go by for a while until I install 7600, I have been holding off installing things like Visual Studio and Expression studio while I was waiting until the release but now I feel I will install it when I decide I need a full  version of VS installed too, this could almost wait until VS 2010, which will be no doubt be released just after Server 2008 R2 (released with Windows Seven, so a General Availability date of Thursday October 22, 2009 – 3 days from now.)

So I am syced that I could be one of the first to show the box and do an undoing of a disk ;) for you, so, with out further ado, here are the photos…

 

      

As Always,

graymalkin

Fail…

Windows Seven

3 more days – OMG!

Windows Seven

Windows Seven in 5 days

Woot!  5 days until general availability.  Unfortunately for me, I have to wait a few extra days for delivery.  How I wish I spent more money for next day delivery:(

As Always,

graymalkin

Windows Seven Countdown Continues

Only 9 days left now guys!

Photoshop

Ok, so we all know that photoshop is a challenging program to use but who could make such a hash of this!?

Now she is a freak dood!!!

Image from Daily mail

As Always

graymalkin

Apple iPod touch 3.1.2

I have recently updated to 3.0, I was admittedly a late adopter and waited until early October, but this is a joke. I update to 3.0 and download that only for iTunes to tell me to download 3.1.1, so I do that and now they want me to download yet another update, what is this?  See if Apple can get me stung even more by the damn fair use policy.  As it is from 4PM – Midnight I get 56K, that is bloody dial up, just without the cool noise.

As Always

graymalkin

Windows Seven is nearly here

I am completely psychopathic with excitement, Windows Seven build 7600 will be in the house on the 22nd, just 10 days to wait!

I am looking forward to doing an unboxing but it will be my first so could be quite shaky

.

As always,

graymalkin

And the countdown begins..

11 day until Windows Seven General Availability!

Clean Windows Seven Install

I have just gone through the painful task of re-installing Windows Seven, but now I have… IT IS SO FAST!!

Zune 4.0 and the Zune HD

Now, I may or may not have posted about Zune before, frankly I can’t remember.  But I have been using Zune occasionally when I want to see some WPF porn, now though it is not an occaision.  The guys over at Zune have made an evolutionary update to the loved software making it more compelling than ever before.  iTunes is a mess.  Originaly it was fast and indeed one of the best media players around, but Apple in their infinite wisdom decided to make it look like their OS, this was not only a down fall for Quick Time (a mess in it’s own right) but also a mistake they carried forward to iTunes, making it slow and unresponsive.

Zune is different.  It is built entirely on WPF and looks, what can only be described as, the most sexy application that Windows has to offer (baring some of thirteen23’s creations)  This mass market application uses all sorts of nifty animations and is a wonderful thing to use.  It is instantaneously responsive due to the way WPF is DirectX based, so is almost processed in hardware rather than through many abstraction layers *cough WinForms*

While WPF does have issues, like the perquisite for the rather hefty .NET 3.0 (and above) framework, it is almost perfect.  The UI is very much modelled on the Hardware devices that Zune make, notably the latest Zune HD – Microsoft’s answer to the iPod touch.  While a Zune device has tempted me in the past this one seems a very very attractive offering from the company.

 

Being a bit of a Microsoft fan boy it pains me to say that the iPod touch is an extremely good device, and it is as Apple say a Pocket Computer not to mention a great mini games console.

The Zune HD however is not designed with Apps as one of the core features.  The Zune HD is a pure lump of music playing genius, no pun intended, with a great UI and such similarity to the PC software you would struggle to find a fault with it.

So, for some screen shots…  obviously you can find many pictures of the Zune HD itself on http://zune.net, there are few screen shots of the fabulous software.  So without further ado, here is Zune 4.0