Richard Beddie's take on simplifying the world we live in
Cool Stuff
This is just awesome – the Lost Generation
25 months ago
by Richard
in Cool Stuff
I reserve posting random YouTube clips for the awesome ones. This is one of them:
Watch it till the end.
Black and White Version: Just awesome! (share it).
Hat Tip: Shannon’s BlogSpot
Graphene – WOW!
48 months ago
Seen a few news articles about Graphene recently (including a claim its the miracle material of the 21st century) Looks WAY cool.
The BBC reports about Graphene, and how strong it is:
It would take an elephant, balanced on a pencil, to break through a sheet of graphene the thickness of cling film.
It’s also super flexible
You could theoretically roll up your iPhone and stick it behind your ear like a pencil
What’s fascinating is that it is just carbon (the same stuff many pencils are made out of), just layered in a special way.
Black and White Version: Graphene looks very special. Watch this space.
iPad 2 Pre-Review
310 months ago
Here it is: my black and white, cut to the chase pre-review of the iPad 2.
I call it a pre-review since I have played with one several times (various Apple stores), I don’t own one yet.
I will give a full review when I do.
In the meantime, here’s the B&W pre-review:
| Whats good about it | The same stuff as made the first gen IPad great – user interface, battery life, etc. (Read this line again, it’s important). |
| What’s improved | Speed, low res camera x 2. Oh, and it’s thinner. |
| What’s missing | Everything that’s missing from the first gen iPad (assuming you thought it was missing in the first place that is), except for a camera |
| Should I upgrade from the 1st gen iPad? | Probably not. But then again you probably shouldn’t do lots of things. |
| Is it better than the 1st gen iPad | Yes. For sure |
| Is it the best tablet on the market | Yep (in my opinion). |
| How does it FEEL? | VERY fast, and light (I know it’s not much lighter, but thin makes if feel light). |
| What else? | The iPad smart cover is SOOOO cool. And no, it doesn’t work with the 1st gen iPad. |
| Tell me more | Ummm, no. This is the black and white version. Read some online iPad 2 review, like this one |
Btw, I ordered one. Did it online, coz while the queues in San Fran were down to 4 hours (ie get up at 5am, and get one at 9am) by the time I left there a few weeks ago, it was still easier for me to click some buttons and then have a full warranty in my home country. I’ll sell my iPad 1 for maybe half what I paid for the iPad 2, so all in all costs me $600 to upgrade.
Black and White Version: iPad 2 is faster, and thinner, and sexier. A step up, but an evolution, not a revolution.
More cool stuff, and oh, I am back!
010 months ago
I have just got back from a 2 week trip to the US, so I have plenty to blog about in the next week or so, including:
- A hands on pre-review of the iPad 2 (the cut to the chase black and white version)
- What’s good (and bad) about the US of A (including tipping!)
- AirNZ economy service on the new 777-300, and why I think they have missed an opportunity
- Boeing factory tour in Seattle
- Why I love San Fran (the black and white)
But before I do that, here are two cool videos that are either going, or are already, viral:
1) Firstly, AirNZ. They are making up for the (removal of) the gay kiss that wasn’t I think!
2) Here’s an awesome video that will bring a tear to your eye.
Black and White Version: There is some very cool stuff out there on the interweb.
Funny stuff from the interweb
011 months ago
I do try not to just post random YouTube clubs on my blog, but from time to time some are too good to pass up.
So here’s some of the best I have seen recently:
Baby trashes bar in Las Palmas
And my personal fav, one of the best ever:
Long Stabby Thing
Things are best in threes me thinks, so here’s another we gem. Less about humour, and more just raw talent. Less than 1,000 view (I think coz the heading isn’t in English), so hardly anyone will have seen this one.
Tirando melodias de canos de PVC
Black and White Version: There sure is some funny shit on the web (pity there is so much crap too!)
Toys, transport and carbon free emissions
111 months ago
by Richard
in Cool Stuff
I spotted two cool transport options recently – one a toy, and the other a potentially viable commuter transport option (albeit probably not something that would be the sole transport device). Both are available from NZ distributors.
So here they are:
1) The Scartt
This is basically an off road toy for two. The price of a mid priced jet ski, but without any of the hassle of water (although like a jet ski, a trailer is required, since it’s not road legal).
All yours for $10990 + gst!
Full details on the Scartt visit the web site.
2) Vmoto Electric Scooter
An electric (zero carbon emission) scooter. Has a range of 90km (when traveling at 45-65km/hr), which increases to 170km at 25km/hr.
Not sure if this would work for me, not coz of the range (that’s fine), or the top speed even (65km/hr does it for me), but coz it can only go up a 12% incline. The hill I live on is at least 25% in parts (probably more), so kinda kills that option.
The web site ZeroEmissions doesnt list the price, but does have all the specs, and with a bit of hunting one does find the price on another site (Vmoto.co.nz).
Yep, this scooter can be yours for $5185 ride away!
Black and White Version: Plenty of cool and cheap(ish) transport options in NZ, some even are green.
OMG might Telecom actually be cool?
11 year ago
I have been meaning to blog about this for a while. And that’s the rise of Telecom vs Vodafone in NZ, and who wins in the cool stakes.
Actually I should take a step back, let’s first talk about the FALL of Telecom. When Bell South came along in NZ it got a whole bunch of high end business users, but was not regarded as mainstream by many. From memory, estimates were it had around 10% market share. It also had coverage issues, especially in Auckland.
When Vodafone bought Bell South in 1998, their market share begun to steadily climb, for a whole bunch of reasons:
- It had a superior product (GSM sim card based tech vs CDMA)
- Better phones (more GSM handsets from the then market leader Nokia)
- Telecom was the atypical monopoly, and people hated them, so anyone who wasn’t them was perceived as better
- Most important, IMHO, Vodafone was COOL. Telecom was boring, old and .. well, not cool. Vodafone marketed this very well at the time.
iPhone free smileys (emoji) – easy peasy
21 year ago
Everyone with an iPhone (probably) knows that you add in Emojis (smiley face icons etc) to the iPhone for 99c via various apps.
Almost a year ago I did a post about how to get emojis for free on the iPhone. Now that I have my new iPhone 4 to play with, I went to follow my own instructions on how to do this for the iPhone but found that the app required for step one has gone AWOL.
So a quick Google search and I found that there is now a MUCH easier way, and best of all it’s FREE!
Just go to the app store – search for Emoji Free (if there is more than one, choose the one with 4 images, one being a monkey in the icon). Install it, run it, and follow the instructions on screen. Easy peasy.
Black and White Version: Installing Emoji icons for free on the iPhone just got easier.
Cool stuff on da web
11 year ago
by Richard
in Cool Stuff
Firstly something warm and fuzzy
Note how the 2nd dog doesn’t actually grab the 1st one using its mouth, but drags it using its paws. And the story goes, the 1st dog survived.
2nd story – this guy should be our hero. Airline crew who quite his job in style!
Black and White Version: Fun stuff.
Funny French McDonalds ad and the parody reply
11 year ago
Here’s a very progressive ad from McDonald’s in France. IMHO it’s not only progressive, but also kinda cute (sweet even) in a very cool way.
I have read several FaceBook posts saying that the CE of McD’s in America has come out (no pun intended) and said this type of advertising has no place in a family restaurant. However I can find no other references to this online, and the Wikipedia article on McDonald’s adverting just mentions the French ad.
Anyway .. here is a reply parody. Also in French, and rather funny:
Black and White Version: See ads can be gay and funny without being stereotypically negative.
