INQ1 isn't just for Facebook!

3mobilebuzz approached me to trial their brand new INQ1 mobile phone. Dubbed, somewhat disingenuously, the 'Facebook phone' by the media, I grabbed the chance to see what all the fuss was about.

Facebook integration aside, I'm particularly drawn to its Skype functionality and can't wait to test this feature over the next month. If you're interested in helping me out, please add me to Skype: jrhood. Thank you.

The INQ1 arrived yesterday and I'll be writing a full review soon. I hope it plays nice with Twitter or else!

You should follow me on twitter here.

Apple + Twitter

Follow tomorrow's Apple WWDC 2008 breaking news on Twitter and discover whether or not I'll be buying an iPhone 2! It'll be up to Steve Jobs to convince me!

Friend me on popular social networks: claimID.

Published by USA Today

I'm most flattered to learn that my post, Vanquishing Vista, has been republished by USATODAY.com (direct link).

This wouldn't have been made possible without being a BlogBurst member, and I implore readers, who also blog, to at least consider, if they haven't already done so, the opportunities open to them via social networking, at local, national and international level.

Reading Maury McCown's announcement that RailHEAD Design is no more, reminded me that I've neglected my portfolio site (founded June 15th 2001) since February!

The site was originally conceived to promote my skills and support job applications (don't assume that every prospective employer will bother to look at your site, no matter how easy it is to click a hyper link). However, it soon developed its own identity and became a springboard for affiliate marketing, graphic design, editorial, social networking and so on...

Whilst my portfolio site could never hope to garner the, deserved, success of RailHEAD Design, I've been proud to maintain it, exchange links with best-of-class Mac-related sites such as The Iconfactory, and humbled to read every e-mail inquiry. Like Maury, I've now taken the decision to no longer update the site. It won't be deleted.

The saga of Generation Star Wars has only just begun...

Jungle Joost™

This afternoon I received confirmation from Joost™ that I'm now an official beta tester for their peer-to-peer streaming video client (Intel-based Mac support only, although a PowerPC build is in the works).



Joost™ is a new way of watching TV on the internet, which uses new and established technologies to provide the best of both the internet and TV worlds. We're in the process of making it as TV-like as we can, with programmes, channels and adverts. You can also see some things that we think will enhance the TV experience: searching for programmes and channels, for example, as well as social features like chat. There are many more new features to come!

How does it work?

Joost™ uses secure peer-to-peer technology to stream programmes to your computer. Unlike other TV and video-based web applications, it does not require users to download any files to their computers or browse through complicated websites.

Viacom Inc. and Joost entered into a content provider agreement for the Joost platform on February 20, 2007. Under the agreement divisions of Viacom (including MTV Networks, BET Networks and Paramount Pictures) will license their "television and theatrical programing" to Joost™.

As yet I don't have any invitation tokens to give out to regular readers. However, anyone who leaves a non-destructive comment (on any of my posts) will be given first consideration.

Hailing Frequencies Open

Iconfactory's Twitterrific has been unleashed! It was fun being a part of the beta test, and I can't wait for my maverick suggestions to show up in a future release. I hope!

The following is taken from the Iconfactory's official announcement:

Today, we are pleased to announce the release of a brand new software product – Twitterrific. Over the past month or so, the workers have discovered the joys of Twitter (direct link to my page).

So what exactly is Twitter you ask?

Twitter is a social networking web service that lets you stay in touch with friends, family or even the public at large thanks to short posts or “tweets” that describe what you are doing at any given moment. The concept is simple, strangely addictive and fun through and through. Tell friends, colleagues or strangers what you are snacking on, your current interests, favorite websites or just plain goofy nonsense!

Twitterrific is a menubar application for Mac OS X that lets you both read and post ‘tweets’ to the Twitter network. The application has an extremely small desktop footprint and allows you to expand or collapse the interface to show as much or as little information as you desire. Wing your way to the Twitterrific homepage for more information including screen shots and keyboard shortcuts.

Throw in a dash of Iconfactory iconic goodness, combined with the fact that its totally free, and you have yourself a fun little desktop application that is just calling out for you to give it a whirl. Head on over to Twitter to sign up for a free account, add some friends (and some famous faces) and then download Twitterrific for your Mac. One thing to note: be sure to log out of the Twitter website before you first launch the app to avoid password problems, and you’ll be singing your tweets to the entire world before you know it. Have fun!

Stop The Cavalry

Where has the year gone? Wasn't it only yesterday that I posted this?

Read on for the first part of my Review of the Year. And the prizes go to:

*E-Commerce - aStore by Amazon. Amazon's new aStore format has impressed me (as has your willingness to purchase from the links) and I hope that this store concept is developed further. An urgent request to Amazon's Associates team - please add RSS as soon as practicable. Runners up: ReviewMe and PayPerPost.

*Web - MySpace. Now that the dust is settling around RSS, I'm hard-pressed to recommend any significant web-based product this year! That's my tenuous excuse out of the way. Social networking websites (and bookmarking) are all the rage, and it would be churlish to ignore their profound dominance. Runners up: RSS and Facebook.

*Buzz Word - Wi-Fi. Wires are so passé. No logo, no go. Runners up: RSS and VoiP.

*Application - Adobe Photoshop CS3 Beta. Why? Well, the all-new UI has to be seen to be believed and the significant speed gains can't be ignored (even on my ageing LCD iMac G4). Runners up: Firefox 2 and iTunes 7.

*Gadget (formerly Console) - Wii. It's garnered acreages of coverage both here and elsewhere. Nintendo has delivered a revolution with Wii and the only flies in the ointment are product availability and the replacement remote strap fiasco. Both will be addressed in the New Year. Runners up: Nintendo DS Lite and iPod Shuffle.

*Video Game - The Legend of Zelda: The Twilight Princess (Wii). Hyrule rendered in lush panoramic 16:9. Runners up: Rayman Raving Rabbids (Wii) and Killzone Liberation (PSP).

Stay tuned for Best Album, DVD, Movie, Television series and much more.

Walking In The Air

This is the first part of the mandatory Review of the Year. And the prizes go to:

*Web - RSS. Of all the emergent web-based technologies reaching critical mass (despite low consumer awareness). This year RSS has captivated my imagination with many a late night brain storming, and exchanging of e-mails with those Chicago-based coders at FeedBurner, to facilitate an all signing and all dancing, but ultimately transparent, RSS experience. Runners up: Google Reader and Blogger.

*Buzz Word - Podcast. This term is a misnomer, but joins the pantheon of brands TiVo and Google. My iTunes Music Store listing was the crowning achievement. Runners up: VoIP and Blogging.

*Application - Flickr Uploadr. I've honored Flickr with the distinction of best cross-platform social networking tool. Google's photo proposition looks positively anemic and clunky by comparison and gets a zero for the lack of a Mac OS X client. Maybe next year, eh? Runners up: Firefox 1.5 and iTunes 6.

*Console - Nintendo DS. Sony's PSP wins the hardware and multimedia battle. But Miyamoto's masterpiece is 'all about the games': delivered with an inventive quirkiness and wrapped in Game & Watch geek chic. Runners up: Xbox 360 and PSP.

*Video Game - Mario Kart DS. Combines the SNES, N64, GameBoy SP and GameCube iterations with Wi-Fi. Do you need to know anymore? Runners up: Resident Evil 4 and Lego Star Wars.

Stay tuned for Best Album, DVD, Movie, Television series and more.

Club 33

This is my 100th post and it fittingly coincides with an invitation to orkut, which is to Google what Club 33 is to Disney! Orkut was established by a Google employee as a means of social networking or, in marketing vernacular, hot working.

In US TV network parlance; 100 episodes is considered to be the magic number at which point many television series are viable for TV syndication!