What are iTunes doing?

An update on the earlier moan about iTunes pricing...

Today is worse folks. I went into iTunes Store this morning. Not 79p but 99p a track at iTunes store. Check it out. Most of the top songs have gone up another 20p. (WAS 99c in the USA = 59p) but today it's also gone up to $1.29 a track - at today's rate that's 79p folks (not the 99p we Brits pay). 

The Brits are almost paying 20 percent more for the same downloads. Face it, we are losers. We get shafted on petrol prices, music, tobacco, booze, car pricing, everything is begga bucks in the UK compared to many countries. Who do we think we are? Switzerland? Yeah we have the overheads but not the standards. We just lie down and take it. Suckers. Someone, somewhere is making a mint out of us. The Americans wouldn't take it. Why do we?    _| :-)   <--- my attempt at "loser".

Music industry shooting themselves in the foot.

In iTunes, hidden at the very bottom right there's a union jack flag. Click on it and you can choose your country. I chose USA hee hee. iTunes USA charge 99c per music track. Converted at today's rate that's 59p a track. They charge us 79p for the same track. Uh? What's the extra 20p (or 34 percent) for??? Because we are stupid and don't complain like the American public? No wonder they are talking about the demise of the CD. I remember in the late 1980's I bought CDs in LA and they were about £5 each whilst in the UK at the time they were £13.99.

Now 20 years later they are saving the manufacturing and distribution costs of CD's by placing them on-line for us to download. A huge saving for them, but not much of an incentive for us. We are told we can keep one back-up copy (at our own expense) No colour booklets unless we print them out (at our own expense). And they are still charging £8 for an album that has cost them hardly anything to market. May they all suffer from free downloads. Theivin b'stas are whingeing that they are not making any money due to free download sites. They would love to shut them down so they can greedily grab the entire global market for themseves.

It's not as though the artists get much out of the deal themselves either, it's the fat cats that run the entire music machinery that drive their rollers etc... moan moan 'kin moan. :-0 x

Flat screen monitors

Saw a preview of an exhibition in Germany showing the new LED (not LCD) flat screen monitors on the market. For Computers, laptops and televisions. Some of these screens are only 3mm thick. (Yes three millimetres!) Foo Kmee. Why? Because they can? I am sure they will find many uses eventually but its just a very attractive, must-have gimmick. Like the iPhone was... but I now have one...  and I would never, ever give it back. I look at my wife's Nokia and it reminds me of the 1980's MS DOS operating system. It's so... computery in it's logic. 

I remember getting an iPod MP3 player, soon after there were dozens of clones on the market. Even the giant Sony had to clone it. None of them were a substitute for the real thing. They are products for people who cannot afford a real iPod. Although I think iTunes is a great store – it's far too expensive at 79p a track ! C'mon Apple. You're way ahead! Downloads should be 50p a track. Also Apple - we need a 40 inch touch screen monitor to do our graphics on. Death to the mouse and keyboard!

Apple Mac OS - Snow Leopard

Despite some bad reviews and rumours I am quietly optimistic about Apple's new operating system: Snow Leopard.

I upgraded the G5pro and the MacBook to Snow Leopard (£25 quid upgrade for up to 5 computers). Still not found fault with Snow Leopard, apart from it not letting me use my own Helvetica Neue. It says it has its own and needs it for the system fonts.
So I let it, and it seems to work OK although if I open an old file using Helvetica Neue it says the fonts are missing. I just have to go through the routine of replacing Helvetica Neue with Helvetica Neue.

UPDATE >> It does not recognise drivers to scanner or printers, except an old HP LaserJet machine which is the only one that works. I downloaded all the latest drivers, also checked the Snow Leopard Install disk. Then gave up and attached the scanner to another G5 with regular Leopard installed. Perfect. So don't be hasty buying it folks until someone sorts the driver disaster out.(Bo-ring). 

Other than that it has lots of cool new features.  

BT 21st Century - why, thank you...

Just found out that I was migrated to BTs new "21st Century Network" about 4 weeks ago. My service has been going downhill since the third week in July. (3 weeks ago).

I am now offline for the 8th consecutive day. I phoned BT twice last week and they DENIED there is anything wrong with my line!!! The "support person" was adamant there is NO FAULT and she told me she will close the job ticket. BT are keeping quiet about this fopar obviously. I have spent into 3 figures updating modem/router, cabling, filters etc etc. Had IT technicians on their knees in my office (ooh matron). I can't do any more. :-(( <--- long chin). Check out these links: http://www.btplc.com/21cn/
http://www.switchedonuk.org/home/how/serviceInterruptions/
Oink. Oink... I'm a guinea pig. Warwick
PS I can now get on line as an extremely good friend ran an ethernet cable up to my office from his office downstairs and I am sharing his broadband. Cool huh? Owe you a pint Hugh (or a huge pint).

Melvyn Warren-Smith Exhibition

Melvyn's exhibition was a huge success in May this year. Here's a little video to celebrate it.

Warwick...

Scotland in March 09

Visited Tarbert, Argyll on the West Coast in March for a family wedding. Sunny mostly but a cold wind. Didn't feel that in the hotels and bars though. Cool wedding, great to see all our relatives after too long a break. A few of the photos we took and a few more out takes are below...

(click on a picture to make it bigger)

Tarbert visit

Lucy visits Tarbert for the second time since the new year, she is showing us what to do...
Ruaraidh and the lads in the pub
Ruaraidh and Lucy
Cate and Mhairi
The bride's mum, Marilyn

The Bride and Groom
The Bride Jessica and her sister Carolyn
Tarbert harbour in the rain
Tarbert quay

The beautiful church viewed from the quay just before the wedding

Pictures from Snowdonia

1 - My buddy Ade. No fear.

2 - Me with "hat hair"

3 - Looking down into the glacial valley

4 - The rock willey

5 - A high altitude blue lake (colour caused by early copper mining)

Would like to go again when there are a few clouds about. It must be amazing standing on top looking down into the clouds.

Snowdonia, N Wales

Above photos taken on 30th May 2009 climbing Mt Snowdon, the largest mountain peak in Wales is 1085m (3,560ft). The forecast was for a good clear day on 30th May this year. So we set off early on Saturday morning and bagged it. Was home by teatime! Tame compared to Scotland but the views on this day were so clear you could see the west coast and the north coast of Wales at the same time! 

Cuillin Mountains, Scotland

Three years ago my friend Adrian and I climbed Sgurr nan Gillean, part of Cuillin Ridge, a chain of 22 peaks stretching over 12 kilometres on the beautiful Isle of Skye, Scotland. We were lucky with the weather, 28degC, rarely heard of that far north! The guidebook said, " Cuillin Ridge offers the most challenging mountaineering environment available in the British Isles...   ...exposure is incredible, vast yawning expanses of emptiness either side of you. The views are exhilarating..." Height is 964m or 3167ft (A Munroe!).

So we packed our brown underpants and off we set. Here are some of the photos. Thought I would share them! 

If you don't see them below - click on "Older posts..."

Isle of Skye

iPhone 3Gs

So I gave in and finally joined the revolution. Two weeks ago I got my iPhone 3Gs and I'm still learning to use it he hee. Weighs a ton, makes one side of my denims lower than the other, but boy is it Coool. It does everything, even GPS moving maps for when you can't find a client in Hammersmith (happened last week). It took me the first week to find out how to turn the alarm off at 06:30am. It seems to "snooze" by default. There are no instructions to speak of. The Apple website has a load of cool videos which extoll the virtues and benefits, but don't tell you how to do the simplest of tasks. It was obviously designed by teenagers who never read manuals anyway. I guess I just need to get stuck in and hit buttons to see what they do. Learning by doing. Burn your finger once and you don't go there again - sort of thing. 

I remember when you used to get a one inch thick manual when you bought a 10 quid calculator. I suppose it saves trees but I am sure it puts greater pressure the psychiatric wards. Anyhow, I can answer phone calls and at the weekend I cracked texting so I am getting there. The first week I decided to tell everyone my new (obligatory) O2 number. I texted it once and "sent to many". Then one of the recipients, my daughter Lizzie, phoned to say I had sent it as an MMS and she had to go onto a website to retrieve it! Oh no! 67 MMS texts at 50p each. Found a little switch in the system settings for sms/mms which cunningly defaults to MMS (cos they make much more money this way). I switched it to OFF and now I can txt lik evry wun els. So if you get one, beware - it's a beast. You may also need to go upmarket with your jeans too. Diesel I find, have very strong pockets. Tee hee.

Pirates are at it again

Those "Pirates of the Californian" are at it again. Ordered a beautiful new 24 in Cinema Display for the studio at 4pm on Wednesday. Over 600 quid. It arrived as usual the following day. Cables and connectors however were for a MacBook (laptop to you Windowphiles). Uh? It won't connect to either of my relatively new G5 big boy computers. Dialled the 0800 number and said that I could only find two monitors on their entire website. "Yes that's right", they agreed, "only 2 monitors available now". "But it doesn't fit any of my computers! "No", they agreed, "they are designed for the MacBook and iMac range. Apple no longer supply monitors for any of their computers except very recent ones which have the correct connectors.

So folks, they have deleted all monitors from their range, for their own computers - unless your comuter is only a couple of months old, or brand new. Meaning 90 percent of everyone on the planet with an Apple computer can no longer buy a compatible Apple monitor for it. You need a new computer to fit the new monitors. Apple did recommend Hewlett Packard (HP) monitors. Charming. So, this morning I demanded a return of their useless (but beautiful) monitor and a full refund. They said, "OK".

They are shafting their own customers. What's going on Apple?

The Needles at dusk.

Photo taken on Sony Phone at dusk from our (unofficial) camp on the IoW. If you avoid the Victorian tourist towns on the East coast this is a really unspoilt island. The only town I would visit over and over is Cowes. It's very colourful and jolly, loads and loads of boats, pretty little streets and marinas, shops and eating places. Just love it! Like being "abroad" which I suppose it is as you have to get there by boat! W :-)

Isle of Wight

Was supposed to go to Knoydart again NW coast of Scotland but the forecast was severe gales, horizontal rain and 1 deg C. No fun there - so finished up on the Isle of Wight. Camped at an 1860's battlement hiding from the wind and overlooking the Needles. Lots of sunny weather and some great cliffs, some are higher than the White Cliffs of Dover. (not many people know that!) Here are a few pix taken on my phone... 

Melvyn Warren-Smith Exhibition

Well. First night was last night for Mel's art exhibition. Fantastic turnout. Sold quite a few paintings in the first hour. Loads of magazine articles published about him. Show goes on until Monday 4th May. Must get it all on his website now! Lots of nice comments about the website and all the print items I did for him. Including two wacky posters to use as direction signs for his remote location. Met a lot of cool people there!   Warwick. :-)

Go see his paintings at  http://www.melvyn-warren-smith.com

Adobe CS4

Whatever happened to drawing boards and stools?
I predict that the iPhone style touch screen will be available in 42 inch flatscreen monitor version, mounted to a drawing board pedestal, with comfy high chair. No mouse, touch keyboard and drag and scale with the finger thingies for re-sizing pictures etc.

Cannot wait. I am saving already!

I have just upgraded to CS4 today. Seems very, very wicked!
Quark – eat - your – heart - out - baby !

You are toast!

Pirates of the Californian

Can you imagine buying a music CD, playing it in your car on the way home - only to be told at home that it has already been used once in your car and you now have to buy another copy for the house?

What's the difference here? How can software companies sell computer programs as a "license fee" for one computer only, and get away with it. The music industry are also effectively selling you a license to hear the music aren't they?

The very expensive graphics software we use can be installed on one computer only, with a "concession" that you can also put it on one laptop BUT you cannot have them running at the same time!

Oh well that's my moan for the day. It's "Good Friday" and it's raining out there. Good huh? Tee hee! Have a nice Easter everyone.

Warwick :-)

Climate Change

Saturday 7 March. Working on brochures for the UK-US Departments of Energy for a climate change conference in the US in 2 weeks time. They really are exploring some amazing concepts. It's a shame they are weak at getting it over to the public just how dedicated and concerned the people involved are. From ministers to scientists, they are really pushing boundaries and are planning 25-30 years ahead. Over the 18 months I have been involved with this subject I am confident that climate change is being addressed by extremely dedicated people. I am doing my bit by making their scientific rantings presentable, readable and attractive hee hee. Can't help wondering what caused the last "climate change" though, when Scotland froze over. Maybe it was just "the weather"? Certainly wasn't trains, planes and automobiles!

Melvyn Warren-Smith

I have known Melvyn for ages. He has done some wonderful work which is now shown on his new website (created by me of course). He is a fine artist, landscapes, portraits and still life. He also does commercial illustration work, some of which was to create book jackets for authors including Maeve Binchy, Catherine Cookson and more recently, Edwina Currie. Go and peek if you like:  http://www.melvyn-warren-smith.com

Look good... Feel better

Just completed a freebie for an event in Derby. There's a charity evening in April at a cool wine bar in Derby where they are having make up, hair, nails, clothes etc experts who are going to pamper women who have recently been through cancer treatment, chemotherapy etc. The idea is to show them that they can still be beautiful! I think its a great idea Rachael! Go girl.

LGFB are supported by big names like Boots. Visit their website for details: http://www.lookgoodfeelbetter.co.uk

Cool photography ::

I am impressed with a photographer (http://www.jezcoulson.com/). His work is awesome. He travels the worlds hotspots and posts his photos on his site daily! There are some great shots of the american president. Especially liked the one of the back of his head! You can sooo tell it's him! There are also some images taken in Gaza just before xmas. He gets around. You have to see his NYC yellow cabs, you can't miss em! You can also read his daily blogs and comment on his work. Rock on Jez. I wanna be like you! (Scoo dooby do) Warwick