Curiouser and Curiouser!

SO 505i.

Just got my SO505i yesterday.

The good news first. It does flash. Hirata pointed out a 6K flash RSS reader written by Yasuhisa which SHOULD work on my phone. This will be very cool. The 1.3 Megapixel camera works and feels like a real digital camera. The screen faces out so that you can use it like a camera without opening the phone.

The bad news. Emailing the 1280 x 960 images is impossible because of the size and because they phone doesn't let you even try making this silly mistake. It uses a new, yes a NEW memory stick format called Memory Stick Duo. I can't find it in stock anywhere and I need a NEW adapter for my Mac. Ugh.

The address book still sucks for English speakers because there is only one tab for english names in the address book.

Things that I MIGHT be able to get used to but are still weird: The antenna sticks out of your chin, the phone opens by twisting, not flipping, there is a little white LED that you can turn on and no flash. I can see how this might be more power efficient than a flash, but I haven't found it to be useful yet to light up subjects. Also, it's a bit big and heavy. It doesn't have GPS and location info so I'm sure I'll have GPS envy.

Now I have to figure out how to thumbnail in python and add it to my moblog...

By Joichi Ito jito@neoteny.com. [Joi Ito's Web]

There is clearly something very wrong with me:  I don't want a phone that takes pictures.

I now feel left out of the whole "cool next gen handset" lifestyle.  I preferred it when all anyone wanted from a phone was that it be tiny (like my faithful vader).

Bad Mojo.

I just read Mark's bitching comment about his ex-neighbor, so called crazy old Howard.  I left a scolding comment, but still can't shake the bad taste his post left me.  Same shit is happening everywhere: disrespect for elders.

....

During twenty-eight years of my life in America, I have been heckled and humiliated occasionally, mostly by elderly white Americans in Archie Bunker-style.  Even one of my neighbors called me Chink to my face.  Still, I understood where they are coming from and let things be.  It's not that they are evil, they are just trying to cope with changing times.  I saw myself in them.  When you are relaxed and comfortable, you are more forgiving.  When you don't understand what is going on and terrified of the future, you start talking non-sense.  So, I just smiled and never wished a bad thing for them.

I hope Mark learns to look out from crazy ol' Howard's eyes and understand a little of what is going on there.  I wish people will understand that it is not the elders' mind that is at stake, but our own.  By losing respect for elders, we lose a large chunk of ourselves.  Giving respect is placing value where we wish value should be.

*sigh*  Maybe it is too fucking late after all.  Forget about Social Software and piss on Emergent Democracy.  What use are they against deterioration of Self?  Argh.  I am going to stop before I get asked to speak at the next Republican Convention.

[Don Park's Blog]

Goddamnit Firebird fly!!!

I've been running Mozilla Firebird on my backup (Win98) laptop for a few days now and really liked it.  Now that my WinXP laptop is back up and running and it seemed natural to get Firebird going there and phase out Internet Exploder.  But I'm damned if I can get Firebird running.

It hangs every time I try to open it.  Usually just after displaying the opening window with the status bar saying "resolving host www.mozilla.org".   This is so frustrating!

I've tried both the Nightly build version and the 0.6 release.  I've uninstalled regular Mozilla 1.4b and deleted all the pre-existing profile information but Firebird won't fly.

Colour me very disappointed...

Update...

Since writing this I have found that Firebird has suddenly started working and that Internet Explorer has started to play up. It's obviously realised the game is up!

Also Paul Freeman pointed me at some useful Mozilla Firebird tips including how to make Firebird open links from external apps in a new tab. Thanks Paul!

So all I need now is a good solution to HTML editing for Radio... I really, really hate the idea of hand editing my posts!

Updated, update... Micah I fixed the link to the Mozilla tips

Dissapearing the opposition

UK ID cards - the incredible shrinking consultation. Disappearing the opposition - every Home Secretary's dream... [The Register]

I really never imagined when I voted for them that I would grow to hate New Labour almost (but not quite) as much as I hated the last Tory government.

In particular I have a real problem with David Blunkett and the Home Office over this and over other legislation they have come up with this term.

So, who do I vote for next time? If I want to vote for someone I trust maybe I should stand myself...