Let There Be Peace On Earth

There has been much hullabaloo since an early beta of Google Earth for Mac OS X appeared on the web! Google Earth puts a planet's worth of imagery and other geographic information right on your desktop. View exotic locales like Maui and Paris as well as points of interest such as local restaurants, hospitals, schools, and more.



In its present form Google Earth's GUI is a mélange of Mac OS X 10.1 Aqua and Windows XP (Preferences includes an OpenGL and DirectX Graphics Mode option. DirectX is a Windows only graphics layer). The application will intergrate with Gmail, but the feature is grayed out. It runs surprisingly smoothly on my aging G4, but requires Core Image and therefore will be restricted to 10.4 Tiger users.

Whilst perusing FeedBurner I stumbled across DropSend, a file-transfer service, and signed-up for a free account. They've included a free desktop uploader tool (10.1 or higher).

Running maintenance scripts can be a chore and most of us don't bother. I tend to run these in Terminal, which is a minefield of dangers for inexperienced users. So, fret not as now this elegant Automator script takes care of everything.

My Favorite Things

Part two of my Review of the Year.

*Album - The Emancipation Of Mimi. After several years in the wilderness Mariah Carey captures R&B magic in a bottle. Runners up: Chemistry (Girls Aloud) and Come And Get It (Rachel Stevens).

*Single - Biology. Those Girls Aloud produce another pop opus. Runners up: You're Beautiful (James Blunt) and Push The Button (Sugababes).

*Movie - Batman Begins. The dark genesis of everyone's favorite psychologically damaged vigilante. Runners up: Revenge of the Sith and War of the Worlds.

*DVD - Lost and Doctor Who Season One Boxsets. This was too close to call! Runners up: Battlestar Galactica and Desperate Housewives.

*Television Drama - Battlestar Galactica. Dangerous and dry sci-fi that avoids the simplicity of the Star Trek franchise. Runners up: Desperate Housewives and Lost.

*Television Sci-Fi - Doctor Who. A slumbering Whovian was stirred by Russell T. Davies, Billie Piper and golden Daleks. Runners up: Battlestar Galactica and Lost.

*Merchandise - 12" R/C Dalek from toy powerhouse Character Options. This year's Buzz Lightyear is the definition of 'must-have'. However, may I direct your attention to the Assault Dalek (with Claw) sold through Toys R Us! This variant is limited to 5000 units worldwide. Runners up: General Grievous Wheel Bike and Transformers Darth Vader.

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.

Step Into Christmas

The buzz surrounding Mario Kart DS is reaching fever pitch. Reviews are extremely positive with gaming journalists evangelizing that this is one of the greatest games released on any platform. Hyperbole? I'll review Nintendo's portable opus soon. It's worth noting that the DS is now outselling the PSP in Japan.

The first installment in Disney's The Chronicles of Narnia not only looks wonderful, but reviews are very encouraging indeed. Can't wait to see this over the holiday season.

Some of you may have noticed that the sidebar has been tweaked with additions. The podcast link is now more prominent - either subscribe via iTunes or Yahoo! Podcasts - and readers can Skype Me 24/7.

Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)

This will be the third year that my Mother isn't 'home' for Christmas since the diagnosis of Central Pontine Myelinolysis and extra pontine: the neurological damage has left Mum with epilepsy, dysarthria, dyspraxia and requiring 24/7 care! Looking forward to spending the holidays at her nursing home. The family is to be featured in a magazine photo shoot, which will be as much memento as publicity. My hourly rate is not open to negotiation!



Despite little enthusiasm, I'd better start writing the Christmas cards and moving the furniture in preparation for the decorations (photos to follow).

Confluence

Keeping with the informal oriental theme of yesterday. Due to the stress of real world events, I suffered an uncommon migraine and was forced to bed early. Whilst still feeling a little groggy, found time to listen to John Williams' score for Memoirs of a Geisha (Spielberg passed on directorial duties).

A work of beguiling beauty, Geisha effortlessly combines the Orient with Copland flourish. The silhouette of Shindler's List (2003) cast by Itzhak Perlman's arresting violin solos.

This year Williams has completed a stunning quartet of albums from Revenge of the Sith and War of the Worlds to Munich. Next year Superman Returns and so will John Williams' main theme. Watch the teaser trailer, underscored by The Planet Krypton, and tell me that you're not moved by its impressionistic power.

I'd like to welcome Sony PSP users to the addiction known as RSS! Albeit in the bandwidth-demanding form of audio streaming. The latest firmware upgrade, 2.6, was released today.



Sony's move into this 'space' may provide competition for Apple! However, under the tree this year I'll be opening a Nintendo DS Mario Kart Bundle and a copy of Lego Star Wars for GameCube.

Sky is offering an iPod Shuffle to customers who recommend a friend. Any takers?

Manic Monday

Watched the excellent Girl with a Pearl Earring (2003); A young peasant maid working in the house of painter Johannes Vermeer becomes his talented assistant and the model for one of his most famous works. I'm left yearning for an art studio and muse of my own! Scarlett Johansson call me sometime?

When I reflect back on A-Level Fine Art, it feels a life further and further removed. This is a double edged sword given my then estrangement from fellow students (and the established tenants extolled by the art teachers), but burning desire to create. Not since September 2003 have I come close to picking up a pencil and paper! Maybe it's mental exhaustion or the lack of time? A New Year's resolution is in the making...

Another notable movie consumed at the weekend. The Last Samurai (2003). Personally, I've always admired Tom Cruise since Born on the Fourth of July (1989). Here he's at the height of his acting game alongside a standout performance from Ken Watanabe. There are few clichés and the poetic portrayal of Japan is mesmeric. Can't wait for House Of Flying Daggers (2004) to be shown on sky movies.

Toy Story

You've got to get one of these (subject to availability)!



The wood carving (on the left) was a gift from an Uncle who toured Africa.

The Ultimate answer to Life, the Universe and Everything is...

42 and Happy Birthday Doctor Who. Over four decades ago An Unearthly Child was broadcast in the aftermath of US President John F. Kennedy's assassination. I still have vivid memories of the Sontaran Experiment, Genesis of the Daleks and The Pyramids Of Mars (circa 1974/75)!

It pays to search eBay listings. Early this morning I purchased a brand new 5" R/C Dalek (£29.99 inc P&P)! The 5" model from Character Options is a limited edition and its market value is higher than the 12" R/C. However, whether it is worth £75 is relative.

Character Options will be extending their 5" Doctor Who range to include the following:

*Pack 1 - The Tenth Doctor (in his 'signature' outfit with long overcoat and Sonic Screwdriver accessory.

*Pack 2 - Rose Tyler and K-9

*Pack 3 - Intergalactic Warlord, the Sycorax Warrior complete with two weapons.

*Pack 4 - A double pack of Lady Cassandra and Moxx of Balhoon

*Pack 5 - A Slitheen action figure - with extendable claws that can be slid out from its finger ends.

*Pack 6 - Radio controlled K-9 and Tenth Doctor double pack.

*Pack 7 - TARDIS console room playset. Six buttons control around ten sound effects plus chair, hat stand and lift-out access panels in the floor to reveal the TARDIS mechanisms and circuitry.

The granddaddy of them all, The Emperor Dalek, will be available exclusively from Toys R Us online.

Still wondering whether or not you should purchase the Character Walkie-Talkies? Don't hesitate any longer! The likeness of both the Doctor and Slitheen are superb and eclipse Hasbro's hyped methodology! Go on, you know you want to play with these.



Pop Princess Rachel Stevens (isn't anyone buying her excellent album?) is rumored to be in the Doctor Who franchise spin-off Torchwood with John Barrowman (Captain Jack Harkness). Torchwood is described as 'adult', not necessarily a positive connotation. Perhaps BBC PR should seek more articulate adjectives?

Nickelodeon

In this era of digital content distribution, the notion of going to the cinema maybe considered antiquated (not that I'm an advocate). Sky movies offers 9 screens of 'near demand' movie magic. This is what I've been watching:

*Elf
*Underworld
*Freaky Friday (2003)
*HellBoy
*The Bourne Supremacy
*The Last Samurai
*The Matrix Revolutions
*The Cat in the Hat
*Pieces of April
*Two Weeks Notice
*The Stepford Wives (2004)
*Open Water
*Dawn of the Dead (2004)
*Resident Evil: Apocalypse

TiVo has announced that its portable media software will support transfer to iPod and PSP. It'll be interesting to see whether or not a future sky+ update will include such a feature too - otherwise the USB 2.0 port is nothing more than a glorified iPod/mobile phone battery recharger!

You can now shop for holiday gifts at my T-Shirt Shop.