A quick heads-up

I am not dead, an update is to be expected shortly. WAIT!

I had to take down my victory speech because it A) Made the site look messy and B) Strays a bit from what the site is really about. I will put it back if anyone requests, or I can send it to you via email. It’s really quite funny, you should read it ^_^

-James

You asked for it, and were dutifully served it with a side salad and cottage cheese..

Ok, the Capel video is FINALLY here. Thought I might get it up before the whole thing stops being interesting, eh? Anyway, anyone is free to watch this, but be warned that it’s full of squadron in-jokes which you probably won’t get. Got a nice load of laughs at the Squadron showing though.

PREPARE YOURSELF for horrendously grainy video. That’s what I get for getting a ‘budget’ Minicam. I could shoot better quality recordings on my toes. The cameramanning is very well done though, far better than I could have done.

CAMERA MAN: Rob O’Hara

EDITING: Me

IN THE VIDEO: The Squadron.

NOTE: If it says ‘This video is no longer available’, it is being processed and won’t play yet. It should soon.

All trademarks acknowledged

And so it begins…

Even though the iPhone has only been out for a matter of months, it seems that Apple have decided to be revolutionary one again with the new iPhone 3G. Apple’s strange like that. Only Steve Jobs himself and students with no money use their computers, but when they put their minds to something else the world tends to take notice. Although I’m not sure why. The iPhone looks incredibly good – I certainly want one – but what the hell kind of phone needs a 612 MHz processor? That’s more than one of my old desktops and is enough to run most computer software*. So is this phone essentially a Mac Mini Mini? Sure looks like it.

Of course, you wouldn’t actually be able to run any software on it – it only has 128 MB of RAM – but it’s still surprising all the same to find that what would have passed for a decent computer 10 years ago is now available in a phone. Apple deserve a pat on the back.

Actually, no they don’t. The iPhone doesn’t do anything unique, and I have a heartfelt dislike for companies that release slightly upgraded versions of alrealdy existing hardware. Like frickin’ Nintendo. The DS is selling incredibly well. It has officially flattened the PSP in terms of sales – it’s sold twice as many – and the train is showing no sign of slowing down. So what do Nintendo do? They announce the DSi, which looks damn good but is completely pointless.

I personally have an original DS, which I am extremely pleased with. Over the last three years it has served me well and still feels as sturdy as the day it came out of it’s shiny black box. Contrast this to the DS Lite, which feels like you could snap it in half with any force at all. And contrast this to the DSi, which is a DS Lite with two cameras – one on the inside, one on the outside, bigger screens, an SD card slot and access to ‘DSWare’, which seems to be a DS version of WiiWare. But it’s all unnecessary really. Anyone likely to buy a DS will have bought one by now, new model or not. All this is going to do is create a rift between regular DS games and DSi games with camera support and the like. Do Nintendo really think I’m simply going to sell my trusty DS ‘fat’ and rush out to buy this thing? Of course not, and neither is anyone else.

Here’s an idea, Nintendo. Why didn’t you make the original DS like this? Think of people in my situation. Even if I wanted a DSi – and I don’t – I wouldn’t be able to ask for one for a birthday/Christmas because my parents alrealdy bought me a DS, and the changes are not significant enough to warrant getting the latest model. Now, if they’d made a new handheld, that would be a completely different matter.

Nice try, Nintendo, but not good enough.

-James

*Not very well, of course, but it can run it.

All trademarks acknowledged.

So whatever happened to NAGTY?

There’s always a moment of excitement when a letter arrives. Normally when I get a letter it’s either the bank telling me I’m skint or the opticians telling me I’m blind. Or that damn football summer school I gave a try many years ago and am still on their mailing list. But the other day I got something rather unexpected from YG&T. What’s YG&T you ask? Well, remember NAGTY? It’s a replacement for NAGTY (National Academy of Gifted and Talented Youth) that’s precisely the same in every detail even down to the magazines telling me I should go on their messageboards and have a conversation about coursework. Great. Not content with taking over every lunchtime I’ve ever had, now coursework wants to take over the internet too. I might give it a go at some point.

Anyway, down to far less serious business. Today I found the best shop in existance. I could happily buy anything and everything they sell. It is.. the new Hawkin’s Bazaar in Liverpool.

Hawkin’s Bazaar is one of those shops that sells things that are extremely cool and have no practical use whatsoever. I’m talking things like R/C tarantulas and electronic voice changers. The voice changers were quite good and I’m seriously considering buying one. The mini one was a bit rubbish – all it does is change your regular voice into a horrible static-encrusted noise – but the big ones, which were £9.99 (about $20) were really good. You control it with 5 switches on the side. Each of the switches changes it in a certain way, and any combination of the switches changes it in another way. They are groovy.

Damn it, my video is still uploading.

That’s a thought. The video for Capel Curig should be on here soon enough, so don’t heckle me about that.

And here’s another thought. On Thursday, this website gathered Ninety-nine unique hits. I’m seriously considering buying a domain name for the site.

Anyway, I’m done for now. I’m gonna go check out domain prices.

-James