Posts by Paul Thomas 1

ahhh

Explains why google maps etc keeps putting me in the UK not Canada when I moved

not just music

Having recently been given an ereader the publishing industry is facing similar problems, they don't want to change their price points, but it intuitively feels wrong to spend as much on a ebook as a physical book.

They need to either work at educating people as to why the prices are the same (or higher) or change the pricing model, the entire hardback/paperback model doesn't apply, but then if you are going to charge a premium to get an early look say so or bundle something with it.

On the plus side there are some encouraging signs, the ability to 'lend' books and to put books onto more than one device (as a family we have always shared/swapped books) seems to be gaining acceptance and have seen some good deals on back catalogues when a new book is published.

size

As mobile screens start to get bigger, the new Torch is 3.2in, you have to wonder where seperate 7in devices fit in.

If the primary use of this is just a bigger screen for Blackberry users it's likely to be an expensive buy, also it would have to be seamless extension of the Blackberry phone for users both ways to make it worth thinking about.

RE could be worse

The Vancouver mascots weren't well received when they were announced, but turn's out the kids loved them. They had a live skate show twice a day downtown with the mascots, it was like they were rock stars to all the under 10's leaning over the sides screaming their names. They also toured schools an events and no doubt made a ton of money for the organisers in terms of merchandise.

Still I think the London mascots are pretty awful, though not surprised they don't look like or represent anything British or even represent London as that would be way too controversial.

Still think they should have gone with something cuddly, despite what they think the focus groups said kids love stuffed toys.

Mind you given that we constantly deplore advertising to kids, isn't there something to be said about using children focus groups to design these things, when the Olympics is one of the biggest commercial events in the world.

What is a children's focus group, mine don't seem to have the same opinion on anything for more than 10 minutes.

archos customer service

Let's not forget Archos truly awful approach to customer service, just have a look at some of the forums.

Having bought archos kit before my experience is such that I will never buy it again or recommend it to anyone.

sci-fi?

I recall a Greg Bear book where he came up with the idea of a controlling agency that has access to all the digital information, phone records, credit cards etc. which had panels composed of members of the public and if the police wanted to track someone they had to apply to the agency and state their case. The agency would then decide how much information the police were allowed to have so there was proportionality in the information released.

We seem to have skipped the control phase and just handed everything over to the authorities to use as they please.

archos support

Just to add to the consensus that I would never ever buy archos again after my last run in with their support and the ease with which their products break.

Also they don't mention that leaving it in the docking cradle for extended periods, something your liable to do with pvr functionallity, screws the battery

swift

In North America the Swift comes with a 1.6l engine, and the sales guy wondered why I laughed at his pitch about a small engine fuel efficient commuter car.