I just loved this video (and the concept!)

Breeze reflection by Djeff @ "Mal au pixel" France from djeff on Vimeo.

Geocaching in the FT

Here's a nice article from the FT on Geocaching.  It seems like a well balanced introduction to the topic.  It is from September this year, but I have only just come across it. :0(

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/f16b1dce-a18f-11de-a88d-00144feabdc0.html

Here's another article from a little further afield...http://www.rapidgrowthmedia.com/features/110509geocaching.aspx

Ordance Survey maps to be free to download from 2010

I have been a great fan of online maps and GPS based devices, but the current price charged for digital online maps far outweighs their advantages for my usage.  This isn't anything to do with the maps themselves, but relates more to the current generation of GPS devices that have relatively small screens that ultimately limits the usefulness of the map.  It doesn't mean that an online map is totally useless, but it is difficult to justify the price of the OS maps which can run into hundreds of pounds.  Enter the OpenStreet Map projects that provides digital maps of the UK for free.  You can download them here.  The maps are pretty good and I find them usable for geocaching and have them loaded onto my Garmin 550 (see the review here).

But ideally, I would like to use the OS maps.  I am used to using them, having used the paper based ones for years, and it would be neat to have the same map on paper and in digital format. This article in the Guardian outlines changes to the access of digital OS maps potentially to come into force next year.  It looks promising for end users and businesses alike, but I wonder what effect it will have on their Ordance Survey's business model.  While it is good news for councils and businesses everywhere that use OS data, this sort of revenue cannot disappear without it having an impact somewhere.

I also hope this potential change in the access to OS maps will also help publishers.  One of my pet hates is the use of hand drawn maps in walking and cycling guide books.  While Wainwright added much value in his hand-drawn guides, I think the use of such "unique" maps in books just makes them more difficult to use in practice.

How Windows Mobile lost the lead to the Apple iPhone

Here's an interesting article about how Microsoft stumbled in the smartphone race.  While Microsoft decided the route to success was via the enterprise (by chasing RIM's success with the Blackberry), Apple decided that success lay in the arms in the consumer.  And success here is determined by mobile applications.  Apple's AppStore has become hugely popularly with tens of thousands of applications for consumers to choose from.  This, somewhat surprisingly, is also helping driving penetration in the Enterprise market as many corporate useres admit downloading games and travel applications onto their iPhone.

If mobile applications are the route to your success, then developers being the critical audience.  Pander to them by providing them with the right tools, support and eco-system and they will do the rest.  Since the iPhone is a single hardware platform (as opposed to Windows Mobile that is available from LG, Samsung and HTC), this also helps developers since they only have to build and test one version of the application.

Winston Churchill (auto tuned!)

There has been a lot of discussion about the use of "auto tune" technology on many pop records. It started off as a method for correcting the odd vocal slip up, but then started to appear as a vocal effect in it's own right (on Cher's 1998 recording of "Believe"). There has been much discussion lately about it's overuse by less talented artists, however, I really like the effect that schmoyoho has produced by re-mixing famous speeches and even news items. Check out the videos on YouTube.