Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: The Southern Apps

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  • Steve Barnes,

    This just in...

    Fanboy Disorder. Definitely the prince of Internet psych maladies, Fanboy Disorder has been scientifically shown to be 47 percent more awesome than Generalized Trolling Compulsion. It has no downside—unless you consider being "too awesome" a downside (and you don't, do you?). Seriously, Generalized Trolling Disorder can just go [expletive] itself. I mean, we all know that only losers are trolls. Also, I saw this thing on the Internet once about how those with Fanboy Disorder scored like 20 points higher on IQ tests.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    except politics ain't a consumer product

    A fact lost on Rodney Hide, who insists it's all about providing services cheaply, not any of that pesky democracy carry-on.

    Oh, and the govt has appointed Auckland's CCO Boards. In particular you'll recognise the name of the new head of the hugely powerful Transport CCO.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    So now I'm an Apple supporter - something of a shock I must confess.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Don Christie,

    :-) giovanni, that's not what I said, was it?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1645 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    while you can't buy porn at the App Store

    Oh great. Now you have pushed me from disappointment to anger.

    I didn't think Russell would resort to the "you're all dirty pornographers" argument at those concerned with openness and how much control is exerted over users and by proxy to the Internet by manufactures like Apple.

    Aw, c'mon Don. This getting silly.

    I actually mentioned it because you'd once raised it in relation to the "freedom from porn" quote that was taken out of context from one of Jobs' emails to a customer. As I recall, you complained about that, but the reality is a bit more nuanced.

    But I'm perplexed about what Apple is supposed to be doing to the internet. Apple's actually been a good performer on standards -- Safari was the first browser to pass the Acid2 test in 2005, the same year that Apple open-sourced the WebKit code underneath it (it was previously an internal fork of KDE).

    Apple maintains WebKit, WebCore and JavaScriptCore as open source software. Google's Chrome browser uses WebKit.

    It'll be Apple that drags everyone else through to HTML 5 too -- i-compatibility is the reason that the NZ On Screen has been rewritten in HTML 5, and the forthcoming (no, really) Public Address website will be too.

    OTOH, Apple (like the TV industry and lots of other people) has opted for H.264 video, which is a managed standard without being an open standard (in that it still attracts royalty payments to the MPEG Licensing Authority). And iOS is proprietary, like Windows or WebOS.

    But you don't need iOS or Mac OS X (a substantial layer of which is maintained by Apple as open source) to access the internet. You have lots of other choices.

    Apple's not perfect, Jobs can be an ass, but I'm honestly struggling to perceive the degree of evil you're seeing.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    I'm more interested in the accessories. Great
    ipad bag here from Minnie Cooper

    Hmmm. Nice bag, but I'd recommend a cover you can open and use without removing (a naked iPad will constantly slip off your knees), and use as a stand.

    I realised that reading Vanity Fair on the plane was much better if I flipped around my Belkin case and used it as a stand on the tray-table.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    :-) giovanni, that's not what I said, was it?

    Not quite, but there ought to be a middle ground between being an Apple bunny and agreeing with the proposition that the iPhone or the iPad hurt the Internet. That's a case that needs to be made a little more convincingly, and I think that if some users see the locked down nature of the iPad as something of a feature, that's legitimate too. It takes a long bow to bring Rodney into it.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    I'd recommend a cover you can open and use without removing (a naked iPad will constantly slip off your knees), and use as a stand.

    Hmmm, thinking, thinking....yes can do.

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    RB, What is the width,length,depth. of an ipad?

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • recordari,

    Fanboy Disorder

    Excellent, so I won't have to wait long for the medication for my hitherto undiagnosed malaise.

    Come to think of it, I have some right here.

    [iPhone. Apps. First Aid Aromatherapy. Sniffs screen. Ahh, perfect]

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    I realised that reading Vanity Fair on the plane was much better if I flipped around my Belkin case and used it as a stand on the tray-table.

    Which you could also do so's noseone haz to look at your nazal hairz if it had a front facing camera for the video callz.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Don Christie,

    It'll be Apple that drags everyone else through to HTML 5 too

    No, that would be Firefox and our very own Rob O'Callaghan. But happy for you to forget a Kiwi's contribution to this as I realise he doesn't wear black.

    Honestly, Apple does lovely tech...but that is only a part of the story and the lack of appreciation of the long term damage there appraoch will do is saddening. They could do lovely tech *and* be open (not source, just open) but they don't.

    Think IE5 if you must. That was nearly the end of the Internet until Firefox cam along.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1645 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel,

    Which you could also do so's noseone haz to look at your nazal hairz if it had a front facing camera for the video callz.

    no that's vanity fear...

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Islander,

    OoooSofie!
    Could almost be persuaded to to to BUY - o dammty, nothing to sell to buy an iPad - and then the SofiBres Bag...goes out loopie hunting-

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    no that's vanity fear...

    LOLZ

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    No, that would be Firefox and our very own Rob O'Callaghan. But happy for you to forget a Kiwi's contribution to this as I realise he doesn't wear black.

    Maximum respect to Robert, but Jobs' hissy fit about Flash is actually the reason that YouTube, Vimeo, Reuters, CNN et al rushed to get HTML 5 video players out (in some cases backed with full HTML 5 websites like NZ On Screen's). Safari was the first browser to support HTML 5 audio and video tags, and the iPad simply won't play anything else.

    There's still a range of opinions over, say, whose way of doing full-screen is best, but it's happening, and the standard is being pushed along. It's worth recalling that one of the main criticisms of Apple's stance was that HTML 5 was nowhere near ready.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    Did I mention that I got a lovely flashblocker for Firefox that replaces all flash content with an F symbol you can press to play said content? I did it mainly to get around the blasted autoplay on YouTube, but it made me realise how much flash content there is on the Web. The bloody thing is everywhere - even bit.ly has it. If the iPad can help hasten its death I'll be a happy man, but in the meantime doesn't it make using an iPad frustrating?

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • George Darroch,

    Giovanni, that is brilliant. I can't believe it took me this long.

    WLG • Since Nov 2006 • 2264 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Did I mention that I got a lovely flashblocker for Firefox that replaces all flash content with an F symbol you can press to play said content? I did it mainly to get around the blasted autoplay on YouTube, but it made me realise how much flash content there is on the Web. The bloody thing is everywhere - even bit.ly has it.

    Music websites are riven with the bloody thing -- Beatport is actually built in Flash. But I think the silent killer is ad banners that sit there hogging resources even when their page or tab isn't visible. I use Click to Flash, which sounds like it does much as the same as your blocker.

    If the iPad can help hasten its death I'll be a happy man, but in the meantime doesn't it make using an iPad frustrating?

    Not as much as I feared, but I tend to visit a smaller set of sites on the iPad, and none of them are Flash dependent. On the other hand, yeah, it would be good fun to muck about on Hype Machine with the headphones on.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    In publisher's terms, Flash blockers are a bit of a pain, because you might have an ad campaign with alternative non-Flash banners, but they don't get served because the server still sees your browser as Flash-capable. If that makes sense.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    People who feel very strongly about being able to use real HTML might wish to avoid these forums

    Or.... they might want to get out more.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • recordari,

    It is an interesting thing though, don't you think? I mean the various markup languages used in forums and such. Wordpress has a completely different rule set, and if you want to seem all clever like, you have to <em> your italics, or there is a code plugin to use html.

    I'm not suggesting it bothers me, but you do have to do a bit of work to get into the writing style of different blogs. Maybe that's as it should be. Part of 'learning the ropes'.

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report Reply

  • Jake Pollock,

    The Arcade Fire's new video demonstrates the power of html5.

    ETA works best in Chrome, is amazing.

    Raumati South • Since Nov 2006 • 489 posts Report Reply

  • Jeremy Andrew,

    Speaking of MS, is anyone else (apart from Ben Gracewood) at Tech Ed?

    So, just me then? The Kool Aid really is quite tasty...

    Hamiltron - City of the F… • Since Nov 2006 • 900 posts Report Reply

  • Geoff Lealand,

    Jeremy; are you interested in being a passenger up to the Orcon Great Blend on Sept 10?

    Screen & Media Studies, U… • Since Oct 2007 • 2562 posts Report Reply

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