So, Doctor Who anyone

I can't believe Woody for one didn't watch it. I for one thought it was al

PSP Mod chips

Luckily, looks like they're not going to be needed. VERY wise of Sony to make the games region free. What looks like the main route into the hardware is the updates that are bootable from the memory sticks, if executable code is able to be run from there, first step will be something like;

for (byte *mem_pos = 0 ; *mem_pos <= Max_mem ; *mem_pos++)
{
hdr_usb.port[0] = *mem_pos;
}
flush();

(yeah, yeah, I know...). They'll get the whole of the psp memory dumped, then work out how the custom stuff is being driven (probably get a bios dump from that easy too). Working out what gets loaded where, how the memory is handled, and the custom chips means this is going to be taken apart VERY quickly I suspect. Hackers are going to be drooling to get code working on this as it'll be a doddle to update the memory stick. Keeps the distribtion of UMD's to sony, but custom apps to the hackers, getting sales/kudos. It'll never be condoned officially, but the second the usual emulators appear, I'll bet there'll be a sales spike. 6 months from now a GBA emulator appearing not sounding too farfetched? (Of course, it'll be Mame I'll be wanting).
Then again, someone could just leak the SDK, and then the floodgates will open.

The Office

Just finished watching the US version of The Office.
Very, very freaky to watch.
Some scenes were identical in a freakish way. Not only where they in the same setting obviously, reading the same lines, some of the characters where trying to do the same mannerisms of the UK version. The bloke doing Tim was freaky in how close he was, but in the end just came out as an office trickster, not someone who just didn't care anymore and was doing whatever he could to get through the day.
The Tim/Dawn relationship was basically explained in clear detail from the get go, just so there'd not be any confusion whatsoever.
Garath wasn't the same pathetic assistant manager (assistant TO the manager) that McKensie Crook did so well. The new David Brent was in a different league. Never managed to evoke the same pathos that Ricky Gervais managed. Amusing, but not the reluctanct fool we know and love. Once again, some mannerisms were copied, but just couldn't carry it off as well.
I'm sure it'll settle down a bit once their comfortable with their roles. What's amusing is as the camera pans around the office, you can see the equivilant characters already without them saying a word (Big up to Keith in Accounts).
There was only one of those disturbing moments that the UK version is full of, and that's when there's a subtle reference to race mentioned when Brent is giving the speech about not merging with the Swindon office (or whatever it was over here).
Not a bad effort, but it really shows the subtle nuances that was needed to get the humour working.

Ring ring ring ring bananaphone

Another cell-phone technology draws even closer. I've just read in the latest Wired that T-Mobile are about to offer a server that lets you pick a tune to sound when someone rings you. Not the actual ring tone it makes to alert you, but the ring sound the caller hears when calling you. I must admit, I never thought of this part of the money making scheme, but as anyone who's heard my rant (I'm sure I've posted it before on the gypods list), it isn't going to be long till the phone networks get the phone manufacturers to make phones that ring the caller's theme tune...
Push a less than 1k midi file on the initial networking exchange should do it. Course, they won't get it right first, they'll get a bank of tunes to pick from the central server that you make a reference too so that they can charge you to use their service. Eventually though it'll be a midi file from your phone to theirs to play your theme tune. Won't be long now, mark my words.

Condi Rice

"The following countries will NOT be attacked;
England
Poland
Small regions of France (yet to be decided).
That is all".

Always scares me when a politician says they are NOT going todo something, what was the quote from Yes, Minister?
"The first rule of politics: never believe anything until it's been officially denied."

You'd of thought that they'd be at least a little weary of picking a fight in another theatre when they've not paid off the last one, (or is this just the pre-face to installing emperor shrub).

Once again, very, very little news time over here, usually more info on the BBC news website on what America is doing that actually on the US networks.

TescoBlog

Not sure there's a name for this.
Basically, instead of using a blog as normal, that we have here, you'dl go to an online store and where there's a comments box to allow customers to enter their feedback, you just enter your blog as normal. Just as productive as a normal blog, and free advertising. You'd be able to goto the Asda site, for example, and on the Heinz Baked Beans feedback comments, you could enter your own personal beliefs on the theory of creation. MUCH larger audience than just keeping it on your own page.
Just a theory, as I was a thinking, on the bog, you know how it is.

So, GT4 anyone

Has this game enttered your life yet; return bretheren to the church of GT4!

Yes, well anyway, I'd been looking for a new game since xmas, and finally I've got something worth an investment of time. I have a half dozen cars a hundred and fifty days driving behind me and a huge 1.5% of the game completed. The new tracks (including a perfect 13 mile Nurburgring) are really good, the selection of cars is massive and returns all the second hand bargains the previous version lacked; and the arcade racing isopened up much more for convenience.

All over a solid 9 out of 10.

AKI

Hallelujah

Well, looks like Apple's managed to catch up with the Wintel crowd after only 22 years. Must admit, sounds like it could actually catch on.

Behold, the User Interface Control System of the Future!

Amazing that Apple's so cutting edge these days. Really pioneering the whole 'user experience'.

Maybe they heard the of the comments we've made and took it to heart. Or maybe its the spambot I've left running for the last 7 years that sent emails to SteveJobs@apple.com with the subject; one mouse button, seriously?
and a body of ; haha, you suck

That must be it.

Second time around?

So anyway, yesterday I had a job interview; with my old employer.

From one council to another maybe; on the down side it would mean a cut in wages, but as a positive, back to doing something productive and getting some career development.

Strange that, I never saw those as my motivations; but then again I always did place ethics over filthy lucre.

However it is wierd, having an interview with three people who've known and managed you for years, and whose employ you only left a few months before. It makes bullshitting your way through the interview hard! Instead I fell on the ploy of badmouthing everything my new council does: they 'seemed' to like that...

Anyway, will wait and see, even if I'm made an offer I'm not commiting to anything yet.

TTFN

AKI

I Finally Made It!!

Many thanks to Mr Robo for rescuing me from the wilderness!

Sue needs help

Sue can't log onto this, the invite bounces her. Can someone help her out, or she'll stay on Gypods and swear at us like the crazy cat lady.

AKI

more pods

Something we didn't really expand upon that may be worth a bash to get more nonsense posted here is make it a little more public.
Would there be any objections getting a few more gypods in the 'group/blog' ?
Personally, I think there's a good need for fresh blood, after all, we can only moan about the macs having one mouse button for so long.

Wacko Jacko

Another thing that winds me up about the media over here is the general distraction the news is. Nothing of substance, I just can't watch it for long. I can feel my brains melting out my ears.
There's ALWAYS a court case going on that gets serious amounts of time far beyond what it's worth. It was the Laci Peterson case (some dude killed his pregnant wife) went on for months and months of heavy duty airtime. So obvious he was guilty from the start, but the media built it up into such a news event, there was special programs about it, something that wasn't all that newsworthy beyond the original announcement, and the inevitable guilty verdict. People at work were even talking about it, and in one of my flippant moods I commented it was just to distract everyone from the war. Suffice to say, the comment didn't go down that well, but I kept at it, and said 'you notice how it's always just before or just after the day's troops losses are announced in Iraq?' Lead ballon time.
Few days later, a co-worker came up to me (who originally was quite upset with my original comment) and said he'd been watching the tv and noticed I was right. Whenever there was a 10-15 second clip about Iraq (and no joking, that's pretty much the amount of time it gets over here, thank goodness for the BBC website), it would be followed straight after with a 3 minute analysis of the latest court developments with zero new information.
And that's how we are with the Jacko case that's going on. It takes up more airtime than anything else at the moment. Gotta say though, probably not the best idea to turn up to a child molestation trial wearing pyjamas, you'd of thought someone would of had a quick word with him.

Exchange rates

I still can't get over how much of a difference there is in the price of things between US and UK.
Basically, I've only had this laptop I'm using atm for a year, and it's running out of steam a bit. It's been an amazing machine, Dell 8600 Inspiron with upgraded gfx card. Plays the games I like, get work done, usual stuff. Doom3 needed a few tweaks to make the speed playable though, and only having 512mb is slowing me down a fair bit on development (running SQL/IIS/.net/VirtualPC sessions(to test tricky bits as other users logging in under different security credentials, saves me a ton of time). Machines well travelled too, with a fair selection of DelMonte/banana stickers to help slow down the wristpad wearing down (the plastic's smooth as silk now), but the hinge brackets are starting to show signs of fatigue with teeny cracks. Time for a new machine, after all, this is my own machine, work can get me a monster (also been using it for demo's so I REALLY should get a nice looking machine). So, went back to Dell to have a rummage around and it's truly amazing how many prices you can find for the same piece of kit (and the confusion amount of special offers they have and coupons you can apply). Last year, I got this machine for 800quid, pretty good price, though I blew 90 quid later on a new gfx card upgrade (alot easier to upgrade than I thought it'd be). This year, the new Inspiron 9300 started looking pretty sweet. Geforce 6800 so HL2 (Amazing game) and my old favourite of Everquest should play well. Few options played with and it seemed a good replacement. Then I looked at the dell.co.uk's site for the same machine...
Suffice to say there's a bit of a difference between the two prices. I'd post a link but it'll no doubt change by the time you look at it, but worth a look anyway. Goto www.dell.com and lookup the 9300, configure it barebones, do the same on www.dell.co.uk and notice there's a price different of around 400quid (with today's exchange rate as it is atm).
Scary stuff.

Mac-Mini

So, Apple have caught up to the PC world and produced a SmallFormFactor machine at last. Gotta say, it's not a bad looking machine. I've got a fairly sweet SFF myself, and have always wondered why the big hardware companies haven't gone after this market until now. Guess the big players were waiting for Apple to make it sexy first. Looks like the size is getting better and better on the PC side, and I can see that it won't be long till we get a full PC on a single chip, we're nearly there.
Wonder if the minimacmini comes with a proper mouse though.

Welcome

Seeing as things are quiet on the yahoo group thingy, and it was mentioned about moving things across somewhere else, and the fact that Blogs are 'THE IN THING', here's the gypods blog.
Lets post rubbish, links, the usual stuff.