All going very well on day 1.5 in the big Equator house. Even getting used to being back on Windows again. Lots and lots to enjoy here but I think I can sum it up by getting you to look at the people I’m working with now. It’s very exciting to be working with a whole team of people who use the Internet and not just talk about it.
I’m loving being the new boy.
Steelso :: Nov.27.2007 :: Cool, Equator :: 3 Comments »
Can we honestly say that this hasn’t happened to any one of us? It’s hilarious.
Steelso :: Nov.23.2007 :: Happy :: 1 Comment »
So a couple of pints and a bit of seduction in the Apple shop left me with a new iPhone. Oh dear.
There are so, so many reviews and insights into the iPhone that I feel a bit boring going into it. So I’ll just go into ta couple of things that I’ve not seen given that the there is now a certain maturity to the web side of the iPhone.
Firstly the Apple staff really know their shit. Which is a good way to sell. Well done.
Secondly activation was a breeze. I’m already on o2 so I didn’t expect any problems but it was very simple to set up.
Thirdly I have noticed the drop in speed between 3g and the EDGE network that the iPhone uses. But the the iPhone specific web apps are very speedy on EDGE which gives the whole thing a bit of a retro feel. It’s like the days when we used to have to really bear in mind dial up download speeds. With broadband we’re rarely thinking about it but I imagine that it is a major consideration for iPhone apps. Anyway the one I’ll use the most is the one I use for GTD, Remember the Milk. It’s a great app, very well thought out and means I can take my lists on the road with me rather than having to depend on my MacBook.
All in all I’m enjoying it. With all the chat about ebooks just now I did settle down and use my iPhone for an hour so looking over RSS feeds in the iPhone capable Google Reader. It was a joy. And I could listen to music.
I’m a proud owner. Bless.
More as I see fit.
Steelso :: Nov.23.2007 :: iPhone :: 1 Comment »
It turns out that I have a week off between GRP and Equator. Which scared me a little. I’m always used to have something to do and this means I have nothing to do. Nothing. So of course I’ve done some self improvement by catching up on my reading. And getting through some games that I’ve not yet managed to complete.
Oneof my very kind leaving gifts was Super Mario Galaxy. It. Is. Amazing. The games loves you. It does. It wants you to succeed. It gives you extra lifes at certain points to keep you interested in completing a challenge. It makes you smile when you die. It is insanely creative. It is nostalgic while being utterly modern. It’s the most my Wii’s been used in months. I play it to be happy. I am rationing my time on it so it doesn’t end quickly. I go ‘wow’ alot.
I love Mario and what he represents to me. I bought my first games console because of Super Mario Bros 3 and it nearly split my girlfriend and I up. Mario 64 seemed to be the height of gaming for me. The Mario games are the only games that my kids and I watch together to see how we’re doing. “Daddy, you’re terrible at Mario” is a phrase that I just don’t get used to hearing. I know it, that’s good enough. I just don’t need a 5 year old reinforcing it.
If you have a Wii, I implore you to get it. If you don’t have a Wii? Well you probably won’t have one for a while I reckon. Sorry.
Next game I want for my Wii? Wii Fit!!!!
The other game I got from GRP was Assassin’s Creed. It’s been get good reviews but I’m bored of it. It’s amazing to look at, one of the few times I’ve had my jaw dropping at certain points, esp. when you turn the corner of the road and see Damascus. It is beautiful, the first game that made me want a HD ready TV to see the design properly. But it is so, so repetitive. And the story isn’t strong enough to keep me remotely interested. The best thing about it is that I’ve seen how a Batman game could be brilliant using that graphic engine. However it made me sad that the best thing I could think about was a how good another game could be…
I’m desperately trying not to buy an iPhone…..
Steelso :: Nov.22.2007 :: Wii, Xbox 360 :: No Comments »
Leaving GRP was a lot harder than I thought. I worked with a great team and we had the chance to produce great work. Things just kind of came together for me and I missed working in a 100% digital environment. And I felt that I wasn’t serving my team brilliantly given the full range of responsibilities I have. Sorry, had.
I was pretty cool, kept it together in our final work in progress meeting. Was cool through the nice speech and the gift giving (more on that later). Oh no, I lost it, I mean lost it, at my leaving do. Cried like a baby. Like a baby girl with colic. Interestingly people interpreted this a couple of ways:
So why was I crying like a baby? Well the alcohol didn’t help. Buy mostly I am going to miss the people. I feel my biggest strength is in collaboration and I loved knocking ideas around, sorting out problems, having heated debates with developers as we both wanted the very, very best for our client. I’m going to miss the day to day interaction with a great team. I think I said that a lot through the tears and the pint of Babycham I was drinking.
Thank you GRP.
Steelso :: Nov.22.2007 :: GRP :: 5 Comments »
Obviously new job, new design, new server, new pretty much everything. Let me know what you think of the new look.
I was quite amazed at all the different themed themes that you can get for Wordpress now. They seem to cover all types of niche areas so if you want a blog for your environmentally themed blog, no problem. You want one that deals with your Hobbit fetish, away you go. There seems to be a lot more specific themes for niche groups than there was a year ago or so when I last looked for a design. Which is interesting given that blogging allegedly is dropping off in favour of more micro media.
So does this mean that blogging is going more niche rather than mainstream or is it that it is just easier to create themes?
Anyway I decided to go as neutral as possible. I’ve not finished yet but I’ve been itching to write for a while so I need toget that out of my system first.
Steelso :: Nov.22.2007 :: Creative :: 4 Comments »
steelso :: Nov.16.2007 :: Everyday Stuff :: No Comments »
So Glasgow became the host of the 2014 Commonwealth Games today. It was all very exciting in the office, my kids are at school watching it on a big screen. You can tell it is a big deal for the school as the kids didn’t have to wear school uniform today. That’s the biggest thing they’ll remember I’ll bet. It’s an all round good thing for Scotland esp. given our national resurgence on the sporting stage. While initially skeptical of the bid I was very jumpy about if we would win or lose. I’m delighted we’ve won and feel it’ll be a great event. Glasgow has a history of hosting great events that help define our identity and push it onto the world. Very exciting.
I’m probably not getting an iPhone today due to the fact I’m jumping jobs and therefore unsure of what/when I get paid again. I’m being mocked that I’ll be raging the first time I see someone with an iPhone and I don’t. Sadly that’s not wrong. I’m a monkey.
Edit: This is magic, watch the video….
steelso :: Nov.09.2007 :: Glasgow, iPhone :: No Comments »
So on the 19th November I start at Equator, an Internet marketing company based in Glasgow. My new role is Account Director which is a fancy pants way of saying ideas man for the clients that we have.
I’m really up for it, I’ve met a few of the people there and they all seem cool. It’s a new challenge, one that I’ve been looking for and I’m excited about the future.
All I’ve got to do know is get through my leaving night and my birthday. Oh liver, don’t fail me now!!!
steelso :: Nov.08.2007 :: Equator :: No Comments »
