July 3rd, 2008
This is probably irrelevant to 99% of the population, but on the off chance that anyone else out there is trying to get their Zune to do wireless (wifi) sync with their Windows 2003 machine, this post will help you do just that. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in How-to, Zune | 12 Comments »
June 6th, 2008
In a previous post I criticized TransLink decisions to use Google Transit while forgoing any kind of proper mobile application for looking up schedules. Now, thanks to Google and the latest release of Google Maps for Mobile, I have one less thing to complain about with TransLink.
That’s right: Google’s mobile mapping application now supports transit routing. And it works really well, too. Just pick a starting point (or if you’re device has GPS, you can use current location), pick a destination point, and you get a transit plan that gets you were you want to go. Just like the full version of Google transit, you can choose between multiple routes and you get step by step directions for transfers and what not, if you need them. Conveniently, you can also switch between driving and transit directions in case you want to compare times.
Posted in Lower mainland, Mobile technology | 2 Comments »
June 6th, 2008
On the bus on my way to work this morning there was a piece in the “24 Hours” daily in which the reporter asked both men and women how easy it was to meet other people in the city. (I forget the exact wording, but you get the idea.)
Among the small group sampled, the consensus goes something like this: People you meet on the street (and I’m casting a broad, poorly sewn net here) are just generally not that outwardly friendly. In Montreal, according to one woman from the article, strangers you pass on the sidewalk are much more likely to make eye contact and smile. In Vancouver, chances are they’ll look the other way.
Now I don’t know if this is a recent thing or if I’ve only recently noticed it, but I think she’s right. Not only downtown, but in the suburbs too, the more I look for the friendly smile from passer-bys, the harder it is to find. Upon returning from a recent trip to a Midwest US state, the effect was more pronounced. People down there seemed “friendlier” and strangers on the street were at least more likely to acknowledge that you actually existed. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Commentary, Lower mainland | 2 Comments »
November 15th, 2007
Or so seems to be the mentality of the officers who tasered Robert Dziekanski to death at YVR. It’s hard to watch the video (linked from this CBC story) and not be at least a little outraged at the officers who responded that night – unless you’re the police, that is. RCMP spokesman Cpl. Dale Carr urges those watching the video to “put what they’ve seen aside for the time being” and to “wait to hear the totality of the evidence at the time of the inquest.” Wait, what? Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Commentary, Lower mainland | 1 Comment »
November 8th, 2007
Is anyone really surprised by the latest headlines from Radiohead’s recent In Rainbows release?
Fans were invited to put their own price on the 10 MP3 files that made up In Rainbows, from nothing to £100.
But internet monitoring company Comscore found that only 38% of downloaders willingly paid to do so.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7082627.stm
Well you can count me among the 62% majority. To be perfectly honest, I had every intention of paying something for the album, but instead I left disappointed with the whole thing and a bit let down by the hype. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in DRM, Music | 5 Comments »
November 7th, 2007
In case you haven’t heard, TransLink trip planning is now a part of the Google Transit beta app. It’s the only Canadian transit system partipating so far, no less. Well forgive me for not giving TransLink a big pat on the back. I don’t know how much effort has gone into making their scheduling data available to Google, but as long as we still don’t have a proper tool for accessing transit schedules and other information from mobile devices it’s too much.
Is it unreasonable to want to be able to bring up a page on my web-enabled device – likely a cellphone – and enter a route number and stop number to find out when the next bus will be? Let me answer that as both a developer and a paying customer: no. And yet, customers have been left standing at the curb (literally) when it comes to planning their transit use via mobile device. Some ingenious (and presumably fed-up) users have hacked together their own solutions, but they’re not exactly the most effective ones.
With any kind of luck, the Google Transit system will soon be available to use with the Google Maps for Mobile application. Until then, we’re stuck with the frustrating voice system if we need to look up schedules anywhere but on a PC.
Posted in Commentary, Lower mainland, Mobile technology | 2 Comments »
The Last Ride
December 7th, 2009I honestly can’t remember the last “great” film I’ve watched. Sure there have been a couple standouts this year – Zombieland was entertaining (if a bit shallow), The Hangover was mildly funny (if that sort of thing is your bag), etc. District 9 was, and I seem to be in the minority here, by far the most overrated film of the year. I understand the novel visuals and plot, but honestly it made little sense and the characters were forgettable. Just read any of the thoughtful reviews out there to get the gist of what I’m saying.
Anyway the point here is not to deride the garbage that Hollywood so reliably produces, but to remind you that there are some great movies out there that you may not have heard of. Case in point is “The Last Ride” an Australian made film by director Glendyn Ivin. My wife and I watched this at the Whistler Film Festival this weekend, and we both came away impressed.
More than any movie I remember, The Last Ride has that elusive quality that draws you in and makes you forget you’re watching a movie. The cinematography is maybe the best I’ve ever seen – it’s a gorgeous film. The characters are real, complex and brilliantly developed. This movie makes you feel a wide range of emotions, and even though you might think you know where it’s headed, the tension is masterfully crafted.
We did overhear some comments after the show that it was too dark, too depressing. And to be fair, it is definitely not a “happy ending” kind of movie. That fact will probably relegate it to the film festival section of local video stores - and I’d doubt it will see a wide release. Which is a shame really, because it’s the first really “great” movie I’ve seen in a long time and the first movie that made me feel something more than just regret at wasting the last hour and a half of my life. You should see this movie if you get a chance.
Watch the trailer: http://www.lastridemovie.com/
Posted in Commentary, Movies | No Comments »