I’ve blogged before about my gripes with O2.ie as a website but now it seems Vodafone are falling into that hole as well, as John reveals. I won’t get into the fact that I still think (despite the odd good experience) that the site is still slow and useless at the best of times.
Is anyone genuinely satisfied with the performance of their mobile operator’s website? Wonder how the Tesco mobile service will go when it launches this summer.
I’ve gotten used to writing press releases over the past 18 months for KilkennyMusic.com and its great to see them get republished without any changes. Of course, newspapers like you and the content they publish to remain professional, as non-objective as possible and in line with the paper’s own ethos.
Of course, press releases are sometimes clouded in mystery, useless jargon and wouldn’t get a second look by a reader.
Which is why this, “press release” from 9Rules.com catches the eye. Open, fun and to the point – just the way I like it.
Is anyone running an install of phpBB (the forum software) that suffers a lot from visits by unfriendly spam bots? I look after three sites which have full installs of phpBB, all three are two subversions behind the latest release – but thats ok. Two of them don’t suffer any spam problems. One of them is just six months ‘younger’ than the spammed forum.
The spammed forum in question doesn’t allow the public read access unless you’re logged in. A user must also click a link in an activation email – you think that would at least work, but no! So I add a graphical captcha to the user registration forms (something that doesn’t exist on the other two), it is six alphanumeric characters strong, combination of uppercase, lowercase and numbers but it STILL doesn’t solve the problem.
What was a great automated feature has now meant there is an admin team manually approving registrations on a daily basis and deleting anywhere between three and ten spambot registrations a day.
Anyone ever have a similar problem?
PCWorld has a decent transcript from an interview with Microsoft’s Ben Fathi at the RSA Conference on computer security this week in San Francisco. The topic? Windows Vista security and Microsoft’s aims to have half or less then half the number of bugs that XP had in its first year of release. Seemingly, they’re still on track for it, despite the recent flurry of patches and bug reports.
I had another go at Vista today, this time on a new AMD-based Dell Inspiron with a half gig of ram – if you’re thinking of a laptop solution, do yourself a favour and get AT LEAST a gig of ram if not more. If not, I reckon security issues aren’t going to be your only concern.
Have to say I’m disgusted at the news that BalconyTV had their videos removed. Hopefully there’s a quick fix. From all of us at KilkennyMusic.com, we’re sorry to see it happen! We’ve dealt ourselves with acts who have appeared on the site and I’ve used their videos in one or two posts as well.
I’m looking at following the steps laid down at KilkennyMusic.com and bringing The Devious Theatre Company to the podcasting side of the web. Following some good discussion over the matter, we’ve put in motion steps to podcast some radio play material – or Podcast Play if you will – over the coming weeks.
As a tester, I cut my monologue from last year’s Heart Shaped Vinyl together in Audacity this afternoon and it sounds pretty good. The play itself (HSV) had the ten scenes open with a 2-3 minute monologue, so, in an effort to promote the return of the show later this year we’ll initially be releasing each of the monologues, likely coupled with thoughts by the actors involved on the character they portrayed during the show.
We’re really looking at the web as a great way to promote our shows this year and have also put the wheels in motion for a teaser trailer for our August show, Canniabal! The Musical. Tasty 🙂
So, with the Irish Blog Awards voting now officially open, I guess it is time to start electioneering. Unlike other bloggers doing the rounds, I don’t have anything to offer at this stage in an attempt to win a vote! I am hoping, however, that if you genuinely think that this blog, or any of the below listed blogs deserve a vote that you would take the time to cast one (then tell all your friends, family, enemies, long lost cousins, neighbours, colleagues etc to do the same 🙂 )
If this post is right, then there should also be a new button at the top of the sidebar (visit the blog to see it) helping you start the process.
I’m actually running against myself as well in the Technology category…
67% of the current smartphone market is being driven by Symbian in terms of software, with 50% of Symbian driven handsets running on Nokia handsets. Not only that, but over 64,000,000 smartphone handsets shipped in 2006. Nice run with the stats!
Here’s one particular service I’d be interested in if I was a Vodafone customer – the mobile operator are about to launch a specially tailored eBay site for their customers.
3 already offer an eBay setup as part of their X-Series and Vodafone are about to join in the game, initially starting in Italy before moving more European-wide.
Been a good week for Vodafone after earlier securing a deal with News Corp to integrate MySpace with their new line of mobile handsets.
I think I was in there once last year but to have four blogs listed across five categories so far I think is a pretty nice achievement for a years work. As it stands, kenmc.com has been nominated in Best Technology Blog and Best Designed Blog (quite pleased about that one, thanks to whoever put this one forward), LiverpoolAccess.com goes into Best Sports Blog, Mobileblogr.com got a mention for Best Technology Blog as well and the recently launched KilkennyMusic.com blog got put forward for best music blog – all of which I’m well chuffed about and some of which I’m surprised about.
I guess the whole electioneering thing starts now, so, if anyone would like to agree with the choices that have been made and put me forward for selection I’d be most appreciative. I won’t try and bribe you like Eoghan McCabe (sorry Eoghan 😉 )but you know what I mean!
Put together by a great friend of mine, Paddy Dunne, and given that I haven’t blogged it before (as much as I remember) and as much as it might be controversial – of sorts – I think this a fantastic video, put together with scanned sketches, a large series of PNGs and put through the mill in Flash before winding up on YouTube.
Video originally appeared on YouTube just in time for the release of Damien Rice’s latest album, 9.
Anything Apple can do Microsoft want to do better. Notice, I said want to do – not can do. Via MobileCrunch comes news that potentially, the Zune might be heading down that phone route as well….
Sounds impressive I tell thee.
Heads up…. get yourself near a computer tonight, the Irish Blog Awards long list and voting is just about here…
Kudos to those long-listed for the podcast, some nice entries in there.
The details on the financial split following Google’s purchase of YouTube last year have started to emerge, with co-founders Steve Chen and Chad Hurley pocketing over $300m each with the remainder split between investors, YouTube staff and Jawed Karim (he was there at the startup but backed out to finish college – he picks up over $60m for his efforts).
Good God indeed!
The latest in the line of ventures from Pat Phelan hits the public today, AllFreeCalls.ie having launched with the hope of ending the rip-off of Ireland’s telecoms providers.
Great to have the Irish blogging community on that one. I’ve already moved on to my second hand to count the blogs covering the launch today.
How does it work?
…once you phone our access number, the remainder of the international call is free when you have a telecom package otherwise you still only pay the local or national rate which can be as much as 92% cheaper than dialling direct…
Nokia have unveiled a new mapping service, allowing free use of “smart2go” mapping and routing services.
The platform contains more than 15 million “points of interest,” including sights, restaurants and accommodations around them. Customers can select locations and send them through multimedia message, Bluetooth wireless technology, infrared or e-mail.
It’s said to be good for 150 countries, if I can see the Irish one and it turns out to be decent, I’d be pretty happy. Don’t think I’ll be going back to Windows Mobile in a hurry tho…
Having ordered from Apple earlier in the week, my lovely ‘mighty mouse’ arrived today (post scheduled for the photo blog later). A pure gem. Been after a mouse for the laptop for ages and grabbed one from the Apple Store this week. Order went through on Monday, text message confirmation of shipping on Tuesday from the UK, arrival via courier after lunch today. Happy days and well worth the near-50 quid price tag I feel.
Brings to 2 the number of good shopping experiences this week (other was yesteday’s ease of purchasing a .ie and pushing through registration and site launch with Blacknight for TheatreCompany.ie – cheers to Michele and one Niamh Fitzpatrick).
Another post for Irish bloggers – this time I’m wondering are there any Irish bloggers (regular bloggers, possibly amongst those I read regularly) who are actively involved in an Irish theatre company, be it amateur, semi-professional or professional. Are you a hobby actor, a member of AIMS or any other society, do you get on the stage or are you involved in any technical aspect (sound, lighting, producing etc.)?
Your question – Why do I ask?
Well, some people know (and some people don’t know) of my involvement in running The Devious Theatre Company in Kilkenny, a closeknit group of actors who have been involved in many productions over the past ten years or so together in some shape or form. We established TDTC in May last year to fill a void in the theatre scene in Kilkenny and recently, one of our founding members has taken a professional contract with Barnstorm Theatre (while we’re on preproduction for two shows this summer).
We got off on the right foot. Started small – tight cast of ten, internally written, produced and directed debut show (sold out all performances), rights managed at an early stage etc. So we’re filling a void.
I’ve been involved in the local arts scene on and off over the years and threw myself into it in a big way with KKM in 2005. The site and services we provide seem to be doing an awful lot for local music, continuing to fill a huge void in the Kilkenny music scene, in a city that was a haven for music in the early 90s. It works fantastic at a local level and because the demand is there and we’ve started putting plans in place to venture more outside of Kilkenny.
I ask my initial question as I’m intent on filling another void, this time starting on a national level as opposed to a local level. Thats how these things work isn’t it? See a gap, realise the demand, fill the gap. TheatreCompany.ie is my new project which is going to fill a gaping hole in the Irish theatre industry – or at least thats my plan for it. I’ve let the idea roll around my head now for the bones of ten months and I think its time to sink or swim with it.
Running a theatre company and having been involved with 3-4 more over the years I know the difficulty often faced in sourcing contacts, actors, resources, props, venues – networking with groups in general to build your theatrical connections in these areas.
So – my answer is TheatreCompany.ie which will launch (by my reckoning) over the next 3 months. Thats the timeframe I’m giving myself. As for the feature list, well, thats on the way (the back of an envelope makes for one HELL of a planning area!). I put KKM together in a week of late nights and thats going better than I could have imagined at the time – hopefully this will have the same result. I’ll be tracking the development of it, somewhere (either here or on TC.ie). Again, I’m making the exact same start – an idea, a few late nights and zero finance.
I asked for bloggers as I figure the possibilty exists that if you’re reading this on an RSS feed that you’re a blogger yourself 🙂 If I’m mistaken, forgive me (but you should also look into blogging!).
Of course, if I lost you in ALL of that, here’s the question again – are you a blogger involved in Irish theatre?
You’ve got to hand it to Home Office in the UK or whoever it is that looks after passports – a two year warranty on the new passport chips isn’t exactly great going now is it, considering that most people hold a ten year passport? Think the government are going to start shelling out for new passports if the chips start to go faulty? Unlikely…
They are so new, no-one knows how long they will last, or how the scanners reading them will work
(Via)