Photography | Design | Technology | Business
A simply gorgeous and inspiring set of videos made using a couple of Canon EOS’s in the Himalayas by a couple of guys on a climbing/mountaineering expedition (renan ozturk on Vimeo). Here’s the first despatch:
TAWOCHE 2K10 dispatches #1 from renan ozturk on Vimeo.
If you like mountains and/or gorgeous camerawork then it’s very much worth checking out the other four videos from the trip on Vimeo too.
Dave Stone was kind enough to lend me his Nexus One for a while (thanks Dave!) and I used it for about a week constantly marvelling about how much better it was over my iPhone 3GS. Let me clarify ‘better’ before continuing: I can install what I want; I can customise it pretty much any way I want; the music store (Amazon MP3) doesn’t lock your music to your device(s); the system level integration between social media and my phone (more on that later); the camera; the marketplace and it’s complete lack of ‘big brother-ness’; the battery life; I could go on…
All of that said however, after a week I began to move out of the honeymoon phase and I began to realise the main difference for me. My iPhone was a device that ran apps (one of which was a phone) while my Android was a phone that ran apps.
I began to wonder if I really wanted to move back to a ‘phone’ and whether I was missing my iPhone though, so I snaffled Nete’s iPhone for a quick play and it actually made me shudder. The iPhone was so slow compared to the Nexus, but more than that, the lack of integration between apps (or more between data sources) felt awful too. This raised some awkward questions for me: 1) I clearly did not want to move back to my iPhone but 2) I was increasingly unconvinced about the whole ‘phone over unphone(?)’ thing too. What to do?
Then, I discovered Slide Screen by Larva Labs by accident and it all came together. Everything I use a phone/device for integrated at every level from ‘at a glance’ to detailed view presented in a visually appealing and useful way:
Slide Screen Dashboard View
Twitter, Facebook, news (via my Google Reader account), calendar, phone, sms, email, time, weather, wifi signal, mobile signal and date all in one ‘at a glance’ screen. Designing for the small screen can be really hard but they’ve nailed it spot on…
After installing Slide Screen, the Nexus One is much less a phone with apps and much more of a social hub bringing together all of my main social data sources into one place.
I can honestly say I have never used a phone so much since installing this last week. I’ve also never used my social media accounts so much either – so expect lots more Facebook friend requests and Twitter activity too!
Love it…
One of the disappointing things about Android for me so far, is the lack of integration between the platform and Linux generally (I use Ubuntu Karmic Koala at the moment).
For instance, on Mac and PC you can use doubleTwist to sync your music between your phone and desktop (after you’ve ripped the drm out of stuff you’ve already paid for of course), but the music player that I use in Ubuntu is Songbird and it’s not such an easy process to get them talking. Nevertheless, you can with a bit of hacking…
Check out this guide to the process: Syncing your G1/Android Device With Songbird for the necessary steps.
Given my preoccupation with coffee and associated stuff, amongst others I’ve been reading Starbucks Gossip and StarbucksMelody for a while now. I love reading their reviews of various Starbucks stores (particularly in the Seattle area where I’ve also visited a fair few of them) and I always chuckle (sourly) at the experiences they describe and specifically how they compare to the UK. It’s probably fair to say that generally the UK Starbucks ‘experience’ is a very poor relation to that of the US in every single way, but read on for an example of just how poor it can be…
When we were out the other morning in Brighton town centre, we decided to drop into Starbucks and grab a coffee. We were in the main shopping area of Brighton so headed for their flagship store on Western Road on the basis that they’d have plenty of seating available. The good news is that they did have plenty of space, the bad news was pretty much everything else sadly.
There was no-one ahead of me in the queue but even so, when I got to the till the female member of staff was way too busy working on some kind of tick list paperwork to acknowledge me until the bottom of the list had been reached. Once I ordered our drinks (two tall drip coffees) and received them we headed upstairs to find some seats. The state of the place was incredible – if ripped seats, stained graffiti’d tables, walls with chunks missing and coverings torn and ripped was the look they were going for then they’ve achieved it with superb aplomb – and despite the high availability of so-called ‘comfy seats’ we decided that our clothes and skin would thank us for instead choosing the more traditional wooden chairs. Here’s a couple of shots of the place:
Starbucks; Western Road, Brighton - Wall Condition
Starbucks; Western Road, Brighton - wall coverings
I know that this particular Starbucks has been like this for a number of years now and I have to be honest and say that whilst I’ve noticed it in the past I’ve not really taken a huge amount of notice of the state of the place before. It shows a general neglect that’s fairly common to a lot of UK high street businesses and whilst it isn’t what you’d expect of a US based company who claims to hold customer experience in such high regard, it’s still not enough to make you want to complain given that we’re in the UK.
What’s made me write this then? What was the tipping point? Well, I had to use the bathroom before leaving the store and I’ll let the pictures do the talking:
Starbucks; Western Road, Brighton - Mould in the Bathroom
Starbucks; Western Road, Brighton - Mould and Decay in the Bathroom
Starbucks; Western Road, Brighton - Mould in the Bathroom
Starbucks; Western Road, Brighton - Dirt in the Bathroom
Starbucks; Western Road, Brighton - Dirt and Mould in the Bathroom
Starbucks; Western Road, Brighton - Mould in the Bathroom
Starbucks; Western Road, Brighton - Damp and Mould in the Bathroom
Starbucks; Western Road, Brighton - Mould Around the Washbasin in the Bathroom
The pictures make for grim viewing but as they were taken with my mobile they don’t fully convey the horror… I should also note here that the gents is a single person room with two areas inside (one for the toilet and one for the washbasin) hence being able to take the photographs…
It’s clear that the bathroom has not been cleaned in a very long time. There is mould literally everywhere; there are patches of damp that are rotten to the core never having been treated; the floor is filthy and covered in detritus; the toilet itself… well, I’m feeling sick again just recalling the state of it… There was no soap but of course that’s only of concern if you’re brave enough to want to touch the taps and sink itself. Overall, disgusting and a very serious health hazard.
If Starbucks UK ever have the embarrassing occasion to read this and look at the photographs then I would urge you to close this place down immediately and begin a deep clean if not a full refurbishment. It genuinely still makes me physically sick to think about my visit.
Oh, and fwiw, the coffee tasted like it had been sitting for quite some time before it reached our cups too. Yuk.
Update: Tim McCoy from Starbucks in the UK emailed me the other day following this post. He indicated that some renovation work on the Brighton branch had already been in the pipeline. Hopefully, that will happen soon…
I'm A Photographer Not A Terrorist Mass Gathering
I’m A Photographer Not A Terrorist are organising a mass gathering this coming Saturday in Trafalgar Square, London to protest against the increasingly common official police harassment of photographers in public places (pro or not).
Go check out the event page, sign up on the Facebook page and/or head to the protest with your camera if you can.
While we’re on the subject, you might also want to grab the excellent ‘Bust Card‘ (pdf) that the group produce and keep a printed copy of it with you for when you find yourself at the wrong end of a discussion with police (or PCSO’s) about what you can and can’t do with your camera in a public place.
Either way, remember they’re not your enemy and probably have a much less up to date knowledge of the laws applicable in these circumstances than you do. Be polite, state your rights when you choose to refuse something asked of you that’s not within their remit and then be even more polite afterwards maybe…
It can be daunting to many when confronted by police or pcso’s in these circumstances but I urge you to keep your cool but know your rights and exercise them accordingly.
"Kaki-fry" by Jim O'Connell / Magnesium
Things have been pretty busy over at Magnesium in the last week or so but I thought I’d point to this post because it incorporates the photography of a number of our members (see below for full credits).
The photo of the nomadic monk Kelsand Pawo, buying himself a portion of chips at a Fish and Chips Shop on Brighton seafront was my small contribution to this piece. Overall though it’s a fun read (that might make you feel a little guilty about some of your own favourite ‘bad’ foods).
I’m planning a short article or two on Brighton (Fotopedia) at the moment. Specifically the draw for creative people to come and live in the town and also maybe some kind of myth-busting photo-essay about the town too… Ideas or suggestions for them both are welcome in the comments here or by email: pete@magnesiumphotos.com
This linked piece on Foods We Love to Hate was produced with content from the following Magnesium members:
Japan by Jim O’Connell / Magnesium
Denmark by Arnaud De Grave / Magnesium
Holland by Nathalie Farigu / Magnesium
Additional photographs by:
Pete Barr-Watson / Magnesium
David Teter / Magnesium
Taken at 17:22 this evening. Our road is still about a foot deep in snow in places and the tyre tracks have become sheer ice. To compound the problem, we live on top of one of the steepest and highest hills in Brighton.
I think it’s going to get warmer this week. Sadly… 
The world’s most respected photo agency.™
My good friend Jim O’Connell has, along with a bunch of other incredibly talented people, just started a new photo agency called Magnesium. He very kindly asked if I would like to be a part of it all and it’s probably fair to say I ‘bit his arm off’ in my keenness to say yes.
As an agency we have a bunch of things to work out yet, but I’m very much looking forward to gaining some clearer direction to my photography. Working on commissioned assignments and longer-term project work as well as being surrounded by some superbly talented photographers will deliver that direction in spades..
From the Magnesium site:
Magnesium Photos is a small, dynamic photo agency. Founded in Tokyo at the end of 2009, we are growing our network all over the world. We’re a network of not only photographers, but assistants, fixers, and translators who can help you get the photos you need for your project.
You can read all about us (in so far as the information that’s been collated to this point) by heading here. Alternatively, you see a roster of Mg members by heading here instead.
I’m looking forward to posting more about the venture as it evolves, and finally avoid using Flickr so much.
With it being the New Year, I’m making some changes to the technology that I use in the hope of making life better and more productive this year. Mainly, the desktop and mobile stuff. Here’s what, and why:
MOBILE:
The closed, controlled eco-system surround the iPhone has always put me off somewhat. I really don’t like the various reports that have emerged over the last couple of years about how Apple has shut out developers who have been seen to step on either their toes or the toes of Apple’s partners (I’m thinking Google voice, Skype originally, Qik etc). The recent revelations about China (see the desktop section below for more on this). The complete lack of support for developers post-release too. More than that though, recently, the credit card I have on file with Apple expired and as I’ve been buying anything in iTunes recently I hadn’t updated it. I tried to download a free app and was told I couldn’t until I update the card. I tried to run some updates on paid apps that I’d previously bought and found the same thing. Basically, Apple was holding me and my purchases to ransom for no real reason. Whilst this is a minor inconvenience in the scheme of things, the bigger issue is the control that Apple has over you and ‘your’ content. Did you buy the app or not? Are the updates free or not? In this case, yes and yes made no difference – Apple said I couldn’t progress until I’d met their demands first. Not cool. The end result for me is that with my O2 contract coming to an end this month, I will not be renewing it nor upgrading my iPhone. If Google don’t announce immediate availability of the new Nexus One tomorrow, then I shall either wait (if the launch is close) or just go to a G2 (HTC Hero) instead. Android seems a much better way forward in terms of the consumer to me right now.
DESKTOP:
Some time ago I tried living with Ubuntu powering my main computer. At the time though, the paymasters in my life all seemed to require various things that could only be easily achieved in various bits of Windows and OS X (I’m referring to things like Flash AS stuff etc). As a result, although I kept an Ubuntu machine around I’d pretty much had to stick to my Mac as a main machine. I think it’s time to revisit that decision though…
Windows: My interlude at Microsoft forced me (I didn’t go easily mind) to use Windows Vista on a daily basis and even though I won’t criticise it per se, it definitely was not even close to being a desktop environment that I’d consider using by choice. Windows 7 is of course significantly better than it’s predecessor, but even so it’s so far off of being worth the hassle that is always associated with any Window’s machines that I will never go there willingly…
Mac OS X: It’s a great environment of course. It has everything a software developer could want and a whole bunch more. That said, Apple’s two-facedness is beginning to sit very badly with me and I can’t help but let it affect my decisions when it comes to technology choices. The app store experience as a developer should be amazing given their control over the entire eco-system, but it is most definitely not amazing. Not at all. The lock-in to using iTunes and it’s DRM is beginning to limit me for the first time because I want to copy some music over to my daughter’s Ubuntu powered laptop and I find that it’s just not that easy. The whole China and Dalai Lama issue, well I shouldn’t have to tell any right-minded peace-loving person how I feel about such blatant profit-over-morals behaviour (don’t get me started on how Apple used the Dalai Lama to create the aura of ‘Think Different’ in it’s marketing not so very long ago). Maybe I just bought into the hype too much and believed their marketing messages when I should have been more sceptical, but Apple is fast fading in my expectations right about now.
Ubuntu: Over the holidays I installed a couple of Ubuntu machines in and around my home. I used the latest edition, Karmic Koala, to install as a VMWare machine on my Mac as well as installing an older netbook for my daughter (which I also mirrored on my wife’s Mac too). Every single time, it was a breeze – I had to do almost nothing to get it working the way I needed it to and although it can be tricky to install some stuff it’s certainly not beyond being worth the trouble. Whether it was the VM’s or on the netbook, it just worked… The working environment I’ve set up for myself is brilliant although perhaps not as pretty as the Mac in places. Songbird is a great iTunes replacement and most of the other apps I use regularly on my Mac were originally native Linux apps anyway. It looks great and it works great..
As a result, my main machine is now the Ubuntu VM. I really hope to transition fully at some point in the future though. I think the main thing holding me back right now is my photography stuff. I use Lightroom on the Mac right now, but a cursory glance at the Linux photo processing apps hasn’t grabbed me as yet. For this reason, I’ll be keeping my Mac on standby for now. But I really hope to be able to make the shift permanently soon…
Thus, for me, the love affair with Apple is dying a slow and painful death. They’re not the company they used to be and it’s unfair of me to expect them to be so probably. I’m not eradicating Apple’s products from my life, just making an initial positive move away from them. I’m also not radical when it comes to open source but I do believe in it a whole lot more than the alternatives right now.
Now, I just need Google to announce a rapid worldwide release of the new Nexus One tomorrow and I’ll be very happy!
Note: Joi already has one… Of course…
