iPhone's won me over

For some reason I always go for the underdog. Maybe it's just the British disease, who knows. But when everyone I knew was getting an iPhone I went for the new kid on the block, Google Android on a T-Mobile G1. A decision I've regretted for the last year.

I've moaned about Android before so no need to go over old ground but suffice to say my experience of Android has been of an inelegant OS that until at least v1.6 wasn't ready for general use.

I still think Android will be a significant positive force in the smartphone market, but Google's decision to launch their OS on the severely underspecified G1 really annoyed me. I accept early adopters pay a premium and suffer heavy depreciation etc but my G1 is only running the later Android goodness courtesy of the excellent work done by rom cooker Cyanogen. The G1 is unlikely to ever see Android 2.0 whereas the Original iPhone is happily running the latest version of the iPhone OS.

Which brings me to my iPhone; a second hand original GPRS only iPhone from a friend and it is, quite frankly, brilliant. It syncs with my Kerio Mailserver via Activesync, google calendars with Caldav and in true Apple style 'it just works'. I should add that I managed Activesync support on the G1 with an app called Touchdown. Works but the G1 memory is inadequate for the app and it doesn't integrate with the google calendaring app, which for some reason annoyed me.

Using a 2g iPhone on T-Mobile (who don't have EDGE) means web access is slow and painful but what use is speedy data access when you don't have the app support to do what you want.

As soon as my current contract ends it's bye bye to T-Mobile and a swift move to another provider and a 3GS. When it launched the iPhone was a game changer in the smartphone market and everyone else is still playing catch up as far as I can tell.

Helping the poor

As I sit writing this I'm in Pret, enjoying a coffee and chocolate croissant that's cost me about £3, money I don't think about spending, despite having just passed the Big Issue seller outside M&S. Poverty can become invisible to us if we choose not to see it. It can also be well hidden. How many well to do families have recently fallen on hard times because of job losses in financial services. I wonder how many don't admit it and try to hide it from friends.

Last Sunday Tim Jones, vicar of St Lawrence's church in York, said in his sermon that it was better for people in dire financial circumstances to shoplift rather than turn to say burglary or prostitution.

Whilst in principle I agree with these sentiments what Rev Jones actually said was "my advice as a Christian Priest is to shoplift". He qualified that he does not consider stealing a good thing but the least of a number of potential evils that desperate people might turn to.

He then sent a transcript of his talk to the local press.

There can be no doubt that he knew what sort of response his statements would get and that he wanted this out there in the media.

However I doubt he expected quite such a widespread reaction with media across the world covering a story that started in a small church in York and retailer groups condemning his statements.

The problem is that stealing isn't ok and claims from any shoplifter facing prosecution that they were stealing to avoid the alternatives of burglary or prostitution are likely to fall on deaf ears.

Whilst I haven't looked up stats I know the retail industry reports most shoplifting is of higher value items, not essentials.

What's more, most people in our society who become involved in prostitution or burglary do so because they have a substance abuse problem, usually an expensive habit to feed, and not because they can't afford to buy bread.

For me Rev Tim's argument is flawed and his reasoning questionable but maybe that isn't the point. Maybe he just wants to spark a debate. Playing devils advocate often works and he has managed extraordinary media coverage.

Time will tell how this pans out and whether he's branded as rogue vicar talking nonsense or people engage with the debate.

I can't help feel Rev Jones has gone about this the wrong way and risks overshadowing the tremendous good the Church is already doing. For example Christians Against Poverty, a national dept counselling charity that's helped thousands of people out of crushing debt. Or closer to Rev Tim's home there's the fantastic Family Matters York.

There is a big issue with the distribution of wealth in the UK. I'd like to see more people engaging in a debate about what to do about this, how to help those most disadvantaged in our society, particularly the homeless. The Church ought to be at the forefront of this and so many other social issues, challenging the well off and comfortable. All to often that isn't the case.

Has Tim Jones helped?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Everybody's too busy

I once heard it said "the devil trembles when we pray but laughs when we get too busy", or words to that effect. Just of late it seems everyone's too busy. I really do mean everyone I encounter.

Ecclesiastes 2:24
A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God,

The trouble is that for me, and it seems so many around me the balance has tipped into something that isn't satisfying. I found myself wishing for another few hours in this afternoon to try and get everything done. There can be no satisfaction because the job can never be done. There's always more being asked/demanded/required. Even those doing something with a definite end point seem under pressure to get there quicker.

There seems to be a climate of fear across so many organisations large and small. "We've all got to just do what it takes." That's what so many people seem to hear from their managers at all levels and behind it is the usually unsaid "you're lucky to have a job".

I am lucky to have a job, a good job and one that for the most part I enjoy. I spent yesterday doing some virtual Christmas shopping for radio, I get to record live bands and present a music programme... Brilliant. I dreamed of such things as a teenager, well maybe not the Christmas shopping...

But without time to be creative, to enjoy the work, to find satisfaction the greatest of jobs becomes a joyless struggle.

I'm not sure what the answer is, especially for someone with a fairly strong work ethic and a determination not to let colleagues down.

Maybe a national week of work to rule.

All ideas welcome.

Life with a windy hackintosh

I dropped my expensive macbook pro. It broke. Fortunately insurance paid out and I bought a new one. Then I dropped it, in exactly the same circumstances (although this one didn't break). So yes, I'm an idiot. Because I'm not as wealthy as Stephen Fry I can't afford to keep buying Macs so decided I needed something cheaper as a day to day carry about computer.

I'd been interested by netbooks but the few I'd looked at didn't suit my needs. However the MSI Wind U100 seemed to be getting generally good reviews, and a lot of people had successfully installed OS X.

I ended up with the Advent branded version called the 4211C (£200 from the PC World online refurb section). Installed a bigger hard disk, another gig of RAM, OS X Leopard and I'm very happy. I also bought an extended battery, it adds weight and bulk to the machine, but also doubles up as a handy carry handle. That wouldn't be for everyone but it gives me a good 5+ hours use. I like that.

I've been using this machine now for several months and it's become my main day to day computer. The wind is a well built little machine for the money with a very usable keyboard and a nice bright screen. It runs OS X well. The user experience is nicer than the installed Windows XP Home, then again I do just prefer OS X. Give it some serious thinking to do and you soon encounter the limitations of the Atom N270 processor, but I'm even using the machine to put together some radio programmes for the BBC. Rendering the project on Reaper can take a little while, but that isn't the end of the world.

There are a few little niggles with Leopard on the Wind however. It's necessary to mess about with some drivers (.kext files) to get the display working in the correct resolution. Sound isn't perfect: on install it's built in speakers only. A bit of messing about can give you the headphone socket but no mic or external input. I also haven't managed to get the webcam to work at all. Wifi is something of a compromise: the standard realtek card isn't recognized by OS X, but realtek have made a utility that makes it work well enough. On the subject of networking the ethernet needs a manual DHCP prod after the machine's been asleep.

That's quite a list of niggles, but for me it really hasn't been a problem. What I've gained in a small, cheap, highly portable and adequately powerful computer running my favourite OS makes it worth dealing with these things.

I do hope Apple enter the netbook fray and build something like this, complete with the perfectly smooth user experience us Apple users have come to expect. In the meantime idiots like me who can't be trusted not to drop their Macbook can instead potentially destroy something that's about a 7th of the cost.

Would you second this?

Something currently doing the rounds of e-mail, that you may come across at some point is a letter supposedly sent by an American housewife to a local paper. I received this from a Christian friend with the tag line of "Will you second this? I do".

The full text is below, but in essence it's a pro-American, pro-war, pro-army, anti-Islamic list. I'm not going to go into my thoughts on other religions, or any religion for that matter. But the sad thing about this letter is the way it uses the name of Jesus Christ. The idea seems to be that if you're pro-Christ, you must be anti... everything else.

For me this represents a fundamentally skewed view of the Christian faith.

Christ commanded his followers to love their enemy and to forgive others their sins. How many people across the globe regularly say the Lord's prayer that contains the phrase "forgive us our sins/trespasses, as we forgive those who sin/trespass against us."

For Christians this means forgiving the moron who cuts you up when driving. It means forgiving the inconsiderate colleague. It means forgiving the terrorists who blew up a train on the London underground. It means forgiving those behind the 9/11 twin towers outrage.

As that great philosopher Sheryl Crow once said: "No-one said it would be easy, but no-one said it'd be this hard".

So no. I can't second this:

Written by a housewife in New Brunswick, to her local newspaper. This is one
Ticked off lady..

'Are we fighting a war on terror or aren't we? Was it or was it not started
By Islamic people who brought it to our shores on September 11, 2001 and
Have continually threatened to do so since?

Were people from all over the world, not brutally murdered that day, in
Downtown Manhattan , across the Potomac from the nation's capitol and in a
Field in Pennsylvania ?

Did nearly three thousand men, women and children die a horrible, burning
Or crushing death that day, or didn't they?

And I'm supposed to care that a few Taliban were claiming to be tortured
By a justice system of the nation they come from and are fighting against in
A brutal insurgency.

I'll start caring when Osama bin Laden turns himself in and repents for
Incinerating all those innocent people on 9/11.

I'll care about the Koran when the fanatics in the Middle East start caring
About the Holy Bible, the mere belief of which is a crime punishable by
Beheading in Afghanistan .

I'll care when these thugs tell the world they are sorry for hacking off
Nick Berg's head while Berg screamed through his gurgling slashed throat..

I'll care when the cowardly so-called 'insurgents' in Afghanistan come out
And fight like men instead of disrespecting their own religion by hiding in
Mosques.

I'll care when the mindless zealots who blows themselves up in search of
Nirvana care about the innocent children within range of their suicide
Bombs.

I'll care when the Canadian media stops pretending that their freedom of
Speech on stories is more important than the lives of the soldiers on the
Ground or their families waiting a home to hear about them when something
happens.

In the meantime, when I hear a story about a CANADIAN soldier roughing up an
Insurgent terrorist to obtain information, know this:

I don't care.

When I see a wounded terrorist get shot in the head when he is told not to
Move because he might be booby-trapped, you can take it to the bank ..

I don't care.

When I hear that a prisoner, who was issued a Koran and a prayer mat, and
Fed 'special' food that is paid for by my tax dollars, is complaining that
His holy book is being 'mishandled,' you can absolutely believe in your
Heart of hearts:

I don't care.

And oh, by the way, I've noticed that sometimes it's spelled 'Koran' and
Other times 'Quran.' Well, Jimmy Crack Corn you guessed it,

I don't care!!

If you agree with this viewpoint, pass this on to all your E-mail friends
Sooner or later, it'll get to the people responsible for this ridiculous
Behaviour!

If you don't agree, then by all means hit the delete button. Should you
Choose the latter, then please don't complain when more atrocities committed
By radical Muslims happen here in our great Country! And may I add:

'Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in
The world. But, the Soldiers don't have that problem.'

I have another quote that I would like to add, AND.......I hope you forward
All this.

One last thought for the day:

Only five defining forces have ever offered to die for you:

1. Jesus Christ

2. The Canadian Soldier.

3. The British Soldier.

4. The US Soldier, and

5. The Australian Soldier

One died for your soul, the other 4 for your freedom..

Orange really has got better

So it's been a while since my Orange broadband connection suddenly seemed to be getting a half decent speed... And, it's held up.

So I have a new benchmark. A domestic Orange 8Mb ADSL line is giving a real world 6Mb+. This contrasts sharply with BT Internet domestic 8Mb which gives under 2Mb. Not only that but at work we have a BT Internet Business connection. This promises to be faster with lower contention ratios. Download speed still doesn't even reach 2Mb though and upload is no better than Orange.

BT, you really are holding Britain back.

Orange broadband suddenly seems better

Because I live in a village our local exchange isn't scheduled to support LLU (Local Link Unbundling) until about 2012 which means we don't have access to all those tasty ADSL2+ services offered by the likes of Bethere.co.uk

I've used Be's service and it's very good. A reliable 15Mb/s realistic download speed is pretty good in my book.

But we've got the Orange broadband Max 8Mb service. I've always found any 8Mb service only seems to offer a realistic 2Mb downstream at best. My parents have BT Internet's 8Mb service and it's terrible.

However I tried the BBC iPlayer network performance test and it reported I was getting 6Mb/s download and the Orange connection now seems to be able to support upwards of 5Mb/s streaming.

Last time I checked I was only getting around the 2Mb/s mark... so what's happened? Is this some sort of fluke or have Orange/BT done something with their networks in recognition that it really isn't ok to charge for an 8Mb connection and only provide 2Mb.

I'll keep an eye on it.