AppStore bollocks

I keep reading — sometimes several times in a day — how the iPhone (and now the iPad) is great because the AppStore now has 140,000+ apps available.

Well, rah rah rah. Yeah, great. But seriously, how many spirit levels and torches does the average iPhone user actually need? And more seriously, of those 140,000 apps, and the zillions of apps downloaded since I started typing this post, how many actually, really and for true, get used more than once?

Let’s get real. I love my iPhone, and I currently have (*pauses to count*) 54 apps, including those which came pre-installed. (And that count includes 3 that are actually just Safarai bookmarks.) Here are the key apps I use regularly:

Mail
Phone (duh!)
Messages
Safari
iPod (double duh!)
Contacts
Camera
Calculator
(so far, all core apps)
Stanza
Instapaper
Facebook
Weather (a bookmark to the Met — the pre-installed Weather app sucks)
Unblock (a game, essential for doctors’ waiting rooms)
Xlotto (another bookmark)
TV (another bookmark)
Admit One (Movie guide)

Excluding App Store and Settings, everything else is more or less redundant. Including the execrable Notes app, with its unreadable font and fugly background. (If Apple are so smart, how come they designed such a piece of shite?)

So, a total of 16 essential apps, of which just 5 (out 140,000 possible) I actually downloaded from the app store.

So, exciting as it may sound, the volume of the app store is no basis at all for deciding to buy an iPhone. Or indeed an iPud. It’s the *quality* of the available apps that matters, and most of them are nonsense.

Apple’s iDud

There seems to be a consensus forming over Apple’s iPad — and it’s all negative. Will no-one say anything good about it? Well, not me. I think it’s a dud. In fact, the more I know about it, the more it looks like a massive fail. Here’s why:

1. Apple’s total lock-down approach to the iPhone, and now the iPad, means that all the cool things you imagine you’ll be doing with the device are not allowed. Fair enough if I were renting the thing, but if I own something I should be able to hack it if I want to.
2. Is it beautiful? No. Sorry, I think it looks like one of those digital photo frames you buy in Cheap as Chips, with that wide black frame. This may just be the most disappointing aspect for me.
3. At 1.5lbs (650gms), it’s too heavy to hold in one hand for any length of time. We’re going to see an epidemic of thumb strain. Yeah, you can lay it on your lap, but then … why not use a laptop/netbook?
4. Surfing the web will be a painful experience without a keyboard. Surfing involves more than just poking the screen occasionally. Facebook, Twitter, blogging — any kind of social networking involves lots of typing.
5. Ditto any kind of document work. Sure, you could carry around a ship-load of documentation to meetings etc., and read them on the thing very nicely, but .. at some point you’re going to need to type stuff in. Yes, you can attach a keyboard, but then .. why not buy a netbook instead?

Clearly, Apple have focused on the multi-media experience, and I guess if you have a need to watch movies and gaze at photos all day, this will fill a niche. But, with a limited budget at my disposal, I’ll be spending on something with more versatility and flexibility. There’s nothing the iPad offers that I can’t do on a netbook. And I already have an iPhone.

So, sorry Steve, but .. no thanks.

How about this heat?

Yes, we’re having a heat wave, a tropical heat wave. Actually, it’s a dry heat. Such as you experience when opening an oven. It’s still only early January, and this is already Adelaide’s second heat wave (defined as +38C for more than one day in a row) this summer.

Someone — it may have been me — was heard to say they’d kill themselves if we had much more of this heat. It’s awful. And there’s some prospect, with Climate Change, that we will in fact experience more such days more often in the future.

But of course, we won’t all kill ourselves. We’ll do what humans have always done in the face of change. We’ll adapt.

I used to wonder why on Earth the Eskimos — or the Inuit — persisted in living in the Arctic wilderness. Surely, I wondered, it would have been simpler, easier and long-term better if they’d just migrated south to, say, Florida? But I realise now that they satyed in the Arctic because they adapted. Over time, as some former Ice Age developed, they adapted to living in colder and yet colder conditions. And when the Ice Age finished, they stayed, or possibly even migrated North-wards to stay with it.

And the same goes for other people living in harsh climates, such as the Berber of North Africa.

So cheer up people. Yes, there will be climate change. Yes, there will be some inconvenience. But overall, we will adapt, as we always do.

On Singer and radical life extension

Interesting post, Sentient Developments: On Singer and radical life extension, from philosopher and Facebook friend Russell Blackford.

Peter Singer argued (in the early 1990s, so his view may have changed) that we should NOT develop a longevity pill because it would reduce the sum total of human happiness. Blackford argues that this is wrong, and makes the case for the opposite, that we SHOULD develop such a pill. Follow the link to read the full argument.

However, I find both arguments to be specious, for several reasons:

1. They assume that a longevity pill would somehow only kick in at middle age, leaving one with a longer life-span (150+ years) but with the health of an average 70 year-old. Of course, what we’d all want is a pill that keeps us as we were at age 20. “If only I knew then what I know now.”

2. They make no link to population levels, which is the real issue in human “happiness”, rather than longevity, with over-population the single most likely cause of human misery. Making the case for or against the pill using an equation with population as multiplier is flawed, because a greater population will always give a greater sum, and this is obviously wrong.

I’ve possibly misunderstood Singer’s argument, but it seems to suggest that living longer will necessitate population control thereby depriving some future potential humans of existence. Which of course is bogus because that which never exists cannot be included in any equation of happiness. It’s value is zero.

3. “Happiness” is a rather poor criterion for decision making in any case. I may be unhappy because I have emphysema, or cancer, or motor neurone disease, but still want to live longer, because I can still delight in music, or the laughter of children, or the flowers in my garden, or the pursuit of knowledge.

4. Realistically, one could pretty much guarantee that such a pill would be hugely expensive, and thus available only to a privileged few, thereby decreasing the sum total of human happiness because the majority would be unable to fill their desire for an extended life.

Regardless of my own (probably flawed) opinions on the matter, Russell’s post is well worth the read. Excellent food for thought.

Making sense of Emissions Trading — it doesn’t

I suddenly find myself in a very odd position. As a lifelong Labor voter, I now find that I prefer the Liberal party position — led by Tony Abbott, no less! — over Labor’s Emissions Trading Scheme (aka CPRS, which sounds like a Credit Union).

There’s one simple requirement for reducing atmospheric CO2. We need to make less of it. And that is most simply achieved by using less power. So the ETS should actually address the use of power to have an effect.

But there is, I think, a basic — fundamental — flaw in the the ETS. It doesn’t do anything directly to reduce emissions. The idea of taxing carbon emissions sounds sensible. It engineers a cost increase in energy use. But then the effect is compromised by the many compensatory emissions permits (get out of gaol free!), and payments to anyone adversely affected by the scheme. How will that encourage people to use less power?

And I realised just a few minutes ago that there’s another problem with this idea. To illustrate this, imagine you are in a car park. In front of you is a lift and some stairs. If you choose the lift, you will use electricity and this will contribute CO2 to the atmosphere. Now, with the ETS, the owner of the car park will be paying more for their electricity, and they will probably adjust their parking fee upwards to cover that. But whether you take the lift or use the stairs, you will pay the same amount for parking. So you personally have no financial incentive to take the stairs and avoid using electricity and contributing CO2 emissions. So the average citizen will take the lift. And so the ETS’ artificial manipulation of the price of electricity will have zero net effect on CO2 emissions. That’s a fail. And similar scenarios will play out everywhere. Will the supermarket turn off some of their lights? No. Will the bus come less often? No. Will the street lights be turned off on alternate days? No. So it will be business as usual for all the various service providers, except that they will pay more for energy so they will pass on those costs to the consumer. Prices will go up, but emissions will remain the same.

By contrast, Tony Abbott is promising (yeah, I know) a different approach in which government explores alternative energy sources and efficiencies. Very light on detail, but it sounds like the approach we wanted — needed — long ago. Put money into solar and wind, and we can actually achieve some genuine and significant reductions in emissions.

I hate saying this, but … Go Tony!

Do music artists fare better in a world with illegal file-sharing? — Times Labs Blog

Do music artists fare better in a world with illegal file-sharing? — Times Labs Blog.

Interesting article — and statistics — from The Times, showing that, while recording revenues are declining, artists appear to be doing very well from live gigs, where the revenue is surging. At $100+ per ticket for stadium concerts, it’s not surprising. I always figured the big names must be rolling in it after concert tours.

Not sure where legal downloads fit into this. Aren’t they meant to be surging too?

Extraordinary and Interesting Activities at the Library

There’s a lot happening right now at work – a lot more than should be happening in an academic library right before exams.

We have known for a couple of years now that some major building changes were likely, sometime in the near future. So we have been working on a plan to prepare for that, thinning the collection and improving the layout of the collection We also worked on improving health and safety in the stacks, by adjusting shelves to allow better lighting and also reduce the top shelf height. Last year we removed over 100,000 print volumes from our main collection, some discarded, most shipped out to our Store. Around the middle of this year we finished re-spacing the main collection on Level 2 of the Library. It’s now a pleasure to work in. The next step was to do the same on Level 1, which is the largest part of the collection, with over 400,000 volumes. Unfortunately, our Store is full, so that was to wait until we could build an extension.

Meanwhile, the University has rather suddenly resurrected plans for those building changes. Essentially, they will convert a rather exposed and dysfunctional open-air plaza into a “Learning Hub”, by putting a roof over it. All good. But beneath that plaza is the main entry level of the Library, which will become part of the Hub. And adjacent to the plaza is our Special Collections, which must move very soon. After looking at options, we have chosen to relocate Special Collections to Level 1. Ahem.

So we now find ourselves in the seemingly impossible situation of having to weed something of the order of 70,000 volumes from Level 1 in order to make space for Special Collections, and moreover having just a few weeks in which to do it! With no space in the Store to take those volumes.

Well, we can do the impossible; miracles take a little longer.

We have come up with a scheme which I personally think is sensible (although it was not my idea), but will, I’m sure, be shocking to some. All bound journals published before 2001, and – radically – regardless of whether they are available to us online or not – are being packed into crates and shipped to a warehouse, where they will remain until such time as the Store extension is built. If anyone wants an article from one of these volumes, we will get it by Inter-Library Loan. Which costs us money, but will be much cheaper than retrieving a crate from the warehouse. Crating and storage is being done by a commercial operator.

At the same time as crating of journals is going on, staff are also re-spacing the books which are to stay. So book trolleys are going back and forth all day, moving books and trying to avoid the crates, which I’m told weigh up to a tonne each when full.

The crating is a radical departure from the position of the librarians just 2 years ago, when I suggested that rule as a blanket rule for sending journals to Store. But radical times call for radical solutions, I guess. And we have no choice. So, in an amazingly short space of time we will have weeded and completed re-spacing of the entire Main collection, and moved or re-moved around 900,000 volumes.

Once Level 1 is finished, we’ll then need to relocate everything on Level 3, probably by the end of this year. But that’s another story.

King Lear

To a play last night at the State Theatre, Shakespeare’s King Lear.

While not among the most jolly of Shakespeare’s Comedies (a few good laughs, quite a few deaths), this was nonetheless a very enjoyable production. If I may be permitted to summarise the Bard, the play concerns an aged parent who signs over his property to his offspring, who then proceed to evict him. Hey, wait, didn’t I see that story on A Current Affair last week? Anyway, the aged parent is Lear, the King, and his offspring are his daughters Goneril and Regan. His youngest daughter, Cordelia, he disowns for getting an ‘F’ in Diplomacy, and as a King, who can blame him really. Well, of course, the youngest daughter is the one who truly loves him, while the other two turn out to be grasping bitches.

Cordelia is not seen again until the last Act, although her place as truth-teller is taken by the King’s Fool (brilliantly played by Sarah Snook). Since both roles are given to the same actor, at this point I became a little confused, having not seen Lear in a long, long while. Since the Duke of Kent (likewise banished) reappears disguised as a common man (Michael Habib, likewise brilliant), I assumed that Cordelia had also returned in disguise as Fool, both to look out for the King’s welfare. It seemed a fair assumption, given the number of characters who assume disguises in Shakespeare’s plays. (And is it amazing that they are never recognised? Or shall we blame the poor lighting in the Middle Ages?) Well, apparently my assumption is wrong. But would it not be an improvement to the play were it true?*

Meanwhile, a parallel subplot unfolds, involving the Duke of Gloucester and his two sons, the nice Edgar and the illegitimate (and therefore wicked) and extremely handsome Edmund (played by .. well, I wish I could say, but the STC page gives no details. Renato Fabretti?). Edmund is scheming to discredit his brother and thereby gain position for himself. This of course in some way mirrors the scheming of the evil sisters. Both the King and the Duke are elderly and therefore presumably, a bit silly and easily manipulated. Edgar runs away and pretends madness. Lear is cast out and becomes mad. See the parallels?

In short, a fine Shakespearian drama, full of scheming, back-stabbing (literally), storms and tempests, sword fights, madness, murder and mayhem. All wonderfully played by the cast, with great gusto. John Gaden’s Lear is superb, as are Victoria Longley and Martha Lott as Goneril and Regan. As are, indeed all the main players.

And the set! The set is a masterpiece itself, and worth the price of a ticket.

A must see production.

* My memory also supplied the Hollywood version of the ending, wherein Cordelia and Edgar lived happily ever after. Alas, my memory was wrong. She dies, quickly followed by Lear. Perhaps it was a Tragedy after all?

Awesome Add-ons for Firefox : FlashGot

Ever wish you could save that Youtube video for later? Or some audio file you’ve stumbled on and loved? Well, you can*. Just install this brilliant little Firefox† extension, and any page with a flash video, mp3 or similar will cause a little icon to show in the status bar. Click on this icon and the video etc. will be automagically downloaded while you continue browsing. Awesome, huh?

FlashGot :: Add-ons for Firefox.

* Not guaranteed to work on all sites. But does work on Youtube, among others.

† What do you mean, you don’t have Firefox? Get it now. It won’t take more than a few minutes, and your life will be better.

Ubuntu 9.04 Install Process

I was just poking around Youtube to see what video tutorials there might be, especially directed at getting more people onto Linux. If you know me, you’ll know already that I am a fan of Ubuntu Linux, and that I love to see other people converted to linux from Windows.

Anyway, there are (of course) quite a few videos. Some are old, and some are very badly done (but Gob bless the amateurs for sharing!) Some suffer from getting into technicalities that the newbie doesn’t need to know. (Please, people! Watch the jargon!)

This one is a standout, and one I’ll happily recommend:

YouTube – Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope RC Install Process.

The video is 9:55 long and shows the entire install process (after inserting and booting from the install CD). Maybe not quite real time, but close. And there’s some nice music to listen to while you watch. No awful dialogue.

What’s excellent about this video is that it demonstrates how simple — and fast — the installation process can be.

Of course, it doesn’t deal with dual boot. And it doesn’t show you how to get the installation CD. But in terms of encouraging someone to try, it’s excellent. I’ll look  around some more for videos that fill in the gaps.