I just want simple Data Accessibility

People always think about the big things when thinking about Data Portability. You know the stuff about moving your friends list or your whole account complete with its data. But what about the stuff which is just not accessible? (or at least seen to be accessible).

One such example hit me when Katie Lips (what a lovely name for a lovely woman) demoed Treasuremytext. Now I've come across this site a couple of times actually though Katie but never really been that impressed. I've always had windows mobile phones, so copying text messages off is as simple as syncing with outlook, turning into notes or copying and pasting. But at BarCampLeeds2, I started thinking about all those people who use those phones which don't allow such things. For example is it possible to save a thread of conversation off a iphone? It maybe even possible but how easy is it? Well services like treasuremytext are part of the data accessiblity landscape, making your data portable.

This should really be the default state of most of the applications/services we use right? Taking something untangable into something tangable which you can maybe takeaway.

Right this moment I'm having trouble with Tesco online shopping. Me and Sarah use to use the same account and so the recommendations and previously bought shopping baskets are for a couple not a single guy. Ideally there would be some APML output and input, so I could remove items and adjust the preferences (geez think of shopping list as concepts instead of items of food) then feed it back into Tesco or one of the rivials who should be looking for my online business. Hey even, I could feed the APML into a broker/comparison site which would work out what my monthly average would be if I use another supermarket. And this is so all do able, even Tesco supply a download of there prices and other information weekly (they may even support a API by now).

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Its great putting name to faces, meet the xbmc team

I really wanted to go to Amsterdam for the Xbmc meetup but it was the same time as Mashed I think, so it never happened. Anyway, its great to see the XBMC team, even if the interview isn't the best. Its a shame we never got to see Frodo and ProjectMayhem who for me were some of the people critical to the sucess of XBMC.

By the way, if you do a search for xbmc in Boxee under bliptv (videos / internet videos / blip.tv / search videos). You can find this video and watch it directly in boxee instead of your browser. You will also see a couple of other videos by myself relating to xbmc.

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HighSpeedDownloadPacketAccess in the real world


So I've started using my windows mobile phone as a USB 3g modem (maybe not as elegent as the USB 3g modems but its more useable. For some reason since I've upgraded the phone to Windows mobile 6.1, the bluetooth connection has failed to work and I've not found the time to really find out what's wrong. Anyway I did a couple of speed tests using the phone connected via USB while sitting on the 13th floor of the Travelodge (trust me, your licence fee is not going on expensive hotels) in Holborn. The phone was showing a strong HSDPA signal and I wanted to know exactly what that meant in real speed, because it felt like I was using wireless or something.

The best download speed I could achieve was 1995 kbps (249.4Kb/sec) and upload speed 361 kbps (45.1Kb/sec). Frankly this is pretty amazing speeds, although a long way off the therotical 1440Kb/sec on the download the upload is very close to the maximum 384Kb/sec. Even on average I'm not getting less that 200Kb/sec download or 38Kb/sec upload. Not bad for a 6 pounds a month extra charge for evening and weekend 3g access.

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Ubuntu is already more attractive that osx

Another noteworthy podcast, this time from Jim Zemlin of the Linux Foundation, describing the somewhat non-code challenges in front of gnu/Linux. I heard this about a two weeks before hearing about Mark Shuttleworth's comments from OSCON recently.

Mark wants to make desktop linux more beautiful not only user friendly. Well in my mind looking at the desktops of my mac friends compared to my own laptop setup, I got to say mine is more beautiful and more interesting. But obviously I would say that…

What I find really interesting about Mac owners is the lack of customisation they generally add to the desktop and interface. Maybe a change of background picture, quicksilver and thats about it. While on the linux side I've seen radical changes, for example Glyn has stuck with the standard Ubuntu theme while Sheila has her ubuntu setup so weird it looks like Xubuntu. I've also seen black themes actually being used by people at conferences (always wondered if they save on battery life that way?). While all my mac friends have the same windows styles, same netrual pallette, same icons, etc. Some would say this is because Apple have a almost flawless interface design team, but I'm not so sure.

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Keeping your social data in sync with Atomkeep

Atomkeep simply keeps your profile synchronised across multiple social networks and services. I'm obviously in favour of this simply from the point of Data Portability. I found it via readwriteweb in my aggregator and I got to say I'm pretty impressed so far. I do wonder how easy it is to import and export from atomkeep without going to another service? I'm not going to say this is ground breaking because thats reserved for Ping.FM which I still use everyday, but its not far behind. Atomkeep tends to want your username and password from the get go. Even when the service supports other means of connecting and controling the account like APIs, OpenID, etc. It ignores them and throws up a login/password prompt for you to fill in. Whats also interesting is what's underneath it.

I confirm that this is my private authorization credentials and I acknowledge my approval for Atomkeep to facilitate data input and update for me in this system. I completely understand and accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy of Atomkeep and every other system engaged in the transaction.

Wow thats quite a leap of trust, saying that Ping.FM knows about 9 of my accounts too. I'm still looking forward to the day when you can have these types of services on your desktop or on your own server. Plaxo pay attention, you should have done this ages ago, you had the data already and you already have the link to linkedin.

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The real problem with cinemas today

I was reading Melinda aka Miss Geeky post about the Dark Knight then linked off to a old post which I've never seen before. 10 problems with today's cinemas is a frank look at the problems with cinemas. I'll quickly run through them here.

  1. Poor Projection Quality
  2. Bad Volume
  3. Screen Size
  4. Bad Seats
  5. Coat and Bag Space
  6. Air Conditioning
  7. Seat Selection
  8. No Decent Waiting Area
  9. Queues
  10. Movie Showing Duration

So I've got some comments about most of these.

The Poor Projection Quality is a big problem, not only is it lazy projectionist but also dirty glass. I have a couple of times gone out and asked for someone to fix the projection. I remember in one film in Beckenham Odeon, the screen was so out of focus half the cinema went out and complained. Who knows what the other half did. Bad Volume, is again another big problem but its more that this. Some cinemas haven't been setup correctly. For example a cinema where I worked didn't even have a working sub in a couple of the smaller screens! The larger ones were THX certified but that was when they first opened. Speakers can blow or more likely go out of phase. Hell I think a rat in one of the big cinemas in London had chewed through a speaker wire because the sound was so unbalanced. Its not always the cinemas fault is true. For example me and my cousin have done tests between different multi-channel formats. Dolby Digital 5.1 can sound very harsh and in your face sometimes, while the same film in DTS 6.1 can sound more natural and more spread out. Then throw into the mix SDDS and things get clearer again. This isn't scientific in anyway because it depends on the audio track, how it was mixed and what equipment the track is run through. For example most Dolby Digital equipment is realtively cheap in the cinema world, while DTS is more expensive and again getting in SDDS equipment is not going to be cheap. I've seen cineams which do crazy stuff like put all the input throught a normaliser before going out to the speakers!

In totally agreement about relative screen size, you can't have a 132 inch screen in your living room (well one of my friends actually tried this). I feel the Odeon Leicester Square screen is good but the empire is nicer for general action movies. The old skool (spelt that way for a reason) cinemas which are more like theatres are actually pretty good. If you've never experienced one, imagine Empire but you walk down instead of up. The best cinema I've seen for this is screen one in Odeon, Streatham. The modern multiplexs tend to use the staduim seating which leads me to a new frustration. Bad Seats, when I was growing up all cinemas went for the gentle slope and tiny seats which flipped up when you stand up. Then Showcase Cinemas came to town and brought stadium like seating and adjustable seats. So the seats flipped up but the back would also go back. These were “the lick” (best you can get) at the time but if you actually sat in them for a while it would push on your back not be very comfitable. The best seats i've ever sat in are the gallery seats at the Filmworks/Odeon Greenwich. There like a car seat which don't flip up but also have depth so my legs are comfitable. If your smaller, I guess the depth will mean you will have a gap between your back and the seat. Sofa style is a welcome additon too (aka the ability to flip the arm rest up). And with these seats theres even enough room to put my motorcycle jacket on the back of the seat in front or my bag next to my feet. On Seat Selection, its got to be closer to the front, enough to almost fill your vision. Odeon have/had standard measurement ratios for cinemas seats to the screen, so I would usually aim for row H or I. I'm sure others do too. When I worked at the Odeon Leicester Square, if I was unhappy with the customer I would put them in Row AA which is near the back of the lower circle. Generally all cinemas should give you a good seat where ever you are. For example theres a legal limit on Row A, its just a matter if you like the intense feeling (almost IMAX like actually)

Actually about the IMAX experience… Its great, I've been to the IMAX in Bristol, Berlin, Minneapolis, San Francisco and London. But I have a problem with them being used for films like the Dark Knight. For me its mind blowing but its too much. Its just like sitting in Row A. When I watched Matrix revolution on the IMAX it just didnt work. The Matrix was not shot for the IMAX and it showed, maybe Dark Knight will be different due to all the action sequences shot on IMAX cameras. 1.33:1 works well for those scenes of atmosphere and depth but not for story telling I feel. The first thing I ever bought online was the Twister DVD from Amazon.com. It comes in 4:3 (fullscreen) on one side and 2.35:1 (letterbox) on the other. Trust me I never want to see that movie in 4:3 ever again. Maybe if it was a 132 inch screen in my living room it would be something special.

Air Con is a must for cinemas, I was actually sweating in the Dark Knight after 3hours. This is wrong! I like it cranked up because I want to feel like a ice lolly (popsicle) and make my ice cream last longer. Decent waiting areas is a good point, see I prefer the big lobby solutions to the corridor solutions of multiplexs. Going back to Odeon Streatham, Screen One has a upstairs lobby where you wait and downstairs is where the food and drinks are. So you can wait away from the hustle and bussle. Another thing this cinema screen has for it (new point inserted) small toilets in the screen! There's nothing worst that having to run the length of the cinema to pop to the loo. Having them in the screen also means you can hear whats happening while just going for a quick one. Another problem is the lighting. The lights should be on at the start, dim during the adverts and again at taiilers and at showtime they should be off. The light of the screen should be enough. Oh and at the end, the house lights should never come on till everyone has left the screen or the credits have finished.

At the Odeon, as a usher. If we turned the house lights on before everyone had left, those people were entitled to a complete refund of somekind. Actually thats something most people don't know, you can legally ask for your money back up to 15mins into a film. So if somethings not right, walk out and ask. Don't settle for they will fix it, remember your missing the film. The last time I ever had to do this was when me and Sarah went to the Odeon Leicester Square to watch Red Dragon and there were rats or mice running around the cinema. Yeah it was nasty and wrong on so many levels. But one thing Miss Geeky also missed is people! Certain people won't frankly shut the fuck up when the film is on. And there seems to be a trend towards not having a usher (blame the multiplexs) in the screen to keep people quiet. So now you have to decide yourself if your going to boldly tell them to quit or just live with it. Thats not right, the cinema ushers should be there to keep the volume level almost slient, stop people wondering in and out with there phones and generally make sure everything goes smoothly. So finally the cinema experience will be worth the money there charging.

I made reference a while back to how much I go to the cinema (almost once a week!). And I got to say I do like cinema and have really high hopes for digital cinema which may flatten the field and cause a longer tail effect. So maybe we'll get the pe
rfect cinema experience in the future, but I got to say home cinema is hot on its tail and rightly so.

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Due to the magic of creative commons…

Meat Katie - CD cover by James Cridland.

I can't sing the praises of Creative commons and licensing generally loud enough. I remember reading in Free Culture by Lawrence Lessig ages ago his solution to the problem of works which may still want to be copyrighted going into the public domain. Make the author pay 1 dollar to keep the copyright of that works a live for another 14 years. It seemed very reasonable, because generally if that piece of work is earning you money its maybe earning you much more that 1 dollar. Of the major entertainment business's rejected this as it was too costly and burnesome on them. I say whatever! and of course its not to burnensome to track down users using sometimes highly questionable or even illegal methods and sue them out of their hard earned money.

But what I found interesting was Lawrence ultimately had a plan to deal with the problem of not knowing who the author was, through this proposal.

Once you know who the author/editor/copyright owner is and you can contact them without going through crazy methods things like this happen. From James Cridland.

Until a few months ago, when the Ministry of Sound contacted me about the photo. Could they use it for the cover of a new album? Sure. We agreed terms, I waited a few months… and there it is, in the niftily-produced photo montage above.

This isn’t the first time I’ve been published. Photographs I’ve taken have been used (at least, cleared for use) in the Russian edition of Time magazine; in a few books, some of which haven’t come out yet; in some postcards in Switzerland (oddly); in a video montage used by a comany to flog stuff; and apparently this one has also been used for a San Miguel promotion (the agency promised to send me lots of beer as payment, but I guess they never used it in the end).

What’s interesting is how excited I am about my photograph being produced in a way that the public will see it. And then I reflected that my photographs are everywhere, thanks to the magic of Creative Commons.

Its not just James either, my friend Sheila got her creative commons licenced photos of nigera falls turned into a paperweight which is sold on site. Even I've had my photos used in many places for a price or gift. Recently I was asked if a couple of my videos on blip.tv could be used for a DVD documentary on the ARG the lost ring. So I pointed out that the liceince I had applied already let them to commercially reporoduce the content but they must attribute me for the works.

Its great stuff and actually works as it should do. Imagine a world where stuff was actually licenced (even all rights reserved) and you could contact the copyright owner to ask questions about reuse and copying. Its not impossible, we can make it happen.

Don't use services which don't allow you to apply a licence and always embed a licence into media. Its that simple really.

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XBMC + Tioti = Boxee?

Boxee ratings! by you.

So I have played with Boxee a lot more since last time. I've also sent out a ton of invites so I'm not sure if I can really give out any more, as I think there is some kind of limit. Anyway, I've been struggling to explain to people why I think boxee is very cool, till it hit me half hour ago. Boxee is what (imho) tapeitofftheinternet (tioti) could/should have been. Tioti has been missing a player/scrobbling application for ages, you have to tick shows off in the website its self which isn't ideal. Well with Boxee now, its possible to scrobble your media viewing/listening. And of course Boxee pulls in your friends data into its interesting interface, completing the circle.

I've created 2 little videos (uploading now) for your viewing pleasure, one is earlier when I'm setting up boxee and the other is me flicking through some of the social and scrobbling features. There's also a few pictures I've taken on flickr.

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Boxee brings social extras to xbmc

Frankly xbox media centre better known as xbmc is the best media centre application I've ever seen and the most forward looking. Better still is its now moved from its xbox background to linux, mac and even windows platforms via the ability to compile the whole lot yourself under the GPL licence. So it almost comes as no suprise that some company has eyed up xbmc and decided to use it as the base for its own take on the media centre. Boxee is a funded team of about 10 people including a guy from Slingbox media.

Boxee is currently still in alpha and you have to be invited on the alpha to get it. I've looked over the blog and looking at the specifications for the linux version, you can certainly tell its xbmc underneath. I'm sure my replacement xbmc box will manage the alpha fine, so if you have a invite which you'd like to share with me that would be great.There's little about Boxee online but hopefully once I get an invite (wink wink nudge nudge), I'll be able to do some comparisons and post a load of screenshots (spoke to soon).

There's no douht xbmc is a powerful platform. Its great to see a open project branch out like this. Currently you have the main trunk which is somewhat controlled by the xbox media centre guys, then a osx only port by plex and now boxee. I look forward to seeing where others take it, but i'm sticking with the main trunk for now.

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