Has the Apple gone sour?

Today has been one of the busiest days for techno-geeks the world over. The initials WWDC may not mean much to most, but to Apple aficionados, it one of the most important days in the diary.

If Apple corp were to release an 'on this day in history' The World Wide Developers Conference keynote speech from CEO Steve Jobs would include such delights as the original iMac (WWDC 1998), the PowerMac G5 (WWDC 2003) and of course the various versions of Apple's crowning glory, the iPod.

It based on this kind of hype and cult-brand-status that anyone who is remotely interested in Apple products can be forgiven for holding out high hopes for the day as far as gadgets and gizmo's go. In previous years, Steve's near-evangelical keynote has hit my credit card hard and I was expecting the same this year. Maybe an update to the iLife software and the aging iMac desktop? As the lights dimmed, I pulled up my laptop and prepared to want...

As it turns out, I was left wanting. Steve's keynote didn't lack enthusiasm or even the odd 'boom' here and there (I counted over 40 back in '03), what it did lack though was err... products. In fact I basically counted 2, the iPhone which isn't out here in the UK for ages (and isn't HSDPA compliant) and the upcoming operating system 'Leopard' which looks OK but doesn't flick my switches like laptops and desktop computers.

And that was about it... I was shocked and saddened (now there's two words you don't see together often!) with the lack of any 'real' products or upgrades. No iMac upgrades, no iPod upgrades, instead news that the beta software development is going ahead as planned and that the iPhone will also launch in the US in two weeks, where it will undoubtedly do well.

It also looks like I wasn't the only one to find this keynote 'lacking', as Steve bowed out, Apple's share price also seemed to be exiting-stage-left, with a 3.45% drop in value. It seems that the markets were also hoping that Steve would have more than a mobile phone and a CD up his sleeve. Alas! He didn't!



So as the dust settles, my hopes that the last poor keynote from Jobs was a one off were dashed and to add insult to injury, he even used his "one more thing" section to announce that apple are now coding software for PC'! What is the world coming to?

UK elections, 2007

Your vote counts blah blah blah... Todays the day when most people fail to exercise their democratic right to choose who runs their local councils. Tomorrow will be the day when those same people will complain about 'people in suits' who have no connection with everyday folk like themselves....

Well I voted today, I always do and I always will. I think that its really important for anyone who has the vote to use it, even if like me, your vote won't really alter much in your area.

For me, its not the power behind my vote that makes it so important. We all know that its only when public vote 'en masse' that people get elected. Rather I think, in some bizarre way its the same principle behind voting as singing in church.

I have an awful voice but imagine if everyone decided, just like I do, not to sing but to mime instead, after all their voice won't count or be heard so why not leave it to someone else? The fact is that church singing is a corporate activity. It only really works when lots of the attendees take part (take it froom me!). And it only gets better and better when more people join in. Isn't it the same with the vote?

No my vote won't change anything in and of itself but as part of a much larger number of people who can be bothered to take part, it contributes in some minuscule way to keep democracy alive and well.

New year greetings

I just thought I'd take this opportunity to wish everyone all the very best for 2007.

Regular readers of this blog will know what to expect this coming year but if you are visiting for the first time today, you can expect comment on just about anything.

In the meantime, I will leave you with some video footage which was taken a few days ago when I went to watch the 'Blue Planet Live'.

The BBC filmed over 7000 hours worth of footage for the series, and during the performance, some of the highlights were shown on a 60ft screen whilst the musiical score was played in realtime by an orchestra and choir.

This was all lead by the composer, and it was a great evening of stunning images and music.

It was fantastic!

Best Wishes,

Paul