Tube warnings

Notting Hill Gate,
originally uploaded by agnte.

This is doing the rounds here on email. Made me chuckle wryly it did. (clcik on it to see it in full).

Finished

A Feline Potter Fan,
originally uploaded by dee m.

I have indeed laid to rest Harry Potter and Half-Blood Prince. *

It was painful. It was miserable. I want more.

Thoroughly miserable now.

*Neither the cat nor the books are mine. This photo is indeed not mine.

Hi-tech sand sculptures

I love these 21st century sand scuptures. I am in awe of people who can create anything out of sand that does not resemble a pile of donkey shit. Via Engadget

I saw some Mini Cooper sand sculptures in Weymouth once. They were cool.

Night vision cars

I really want to learn to drive now. What with excellent GPS fun on the move and things like night vision dashboard, I think I would start to live in there. Via Engadget

Could be a good thing if it makes me drink less.*



*I am not really an alcoholic. I was joking

Punting TEDsters and sunburn

Punting TEDsters,
originally uploaded by The Kitten's Toe.

That is the X-Prize's Peter Diamandis with the pole and that is internet artist Ze Frank sitting behind him.

I got sunburn.

I is hot.

Harry Potter craziness

Oooohhhhh... I just caught the midnight live reading by JK Rowling from her the new Harry Potter book live at Edinburgh Castle.

My Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince should arrive in the post on Saturday, cat claws crossed.

There is a bit of Pottr madness going on too...

Check out CBBC Newsround coverage from the queues of fans getting their hands on the book all around the world.

And check out their journalist's log. He is reading it all night tonight and posting up updates on the book - WARNING: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS HERE!!

Which is a bit of an issue when you try to do a "blog" that is not really a "blog" as such, for a number of reasons.

The main problem is that doing it "a la blog" means that the latest entry is at the top. That brings all the spoilers - if indeed there are any - right in your face when you go to the page. I would prefer the order to be reversed - shock! - to keep them hidden.

That way you can read down as far as you think you want to without reading *too* much that might spoil it.

Flickr Pro gifting economy

Flickr: FlickrCentral
I have been inspired a bit by TED's message which was overwhelmingly Share the Wealth, and this was driven home to me tonight when I logged on after our mind-meltingly boiling journey.

It has been too hot all week.

It was driven home to me when I realised that the deadline for the pre-Yahoo Flickr Pro account giveaway was on Friday.

I thought quickly and sent them to two people I think will enjoy them - neither are on Flickr. I went to the Flickr blog and saw a post: Gift pro accounts--any disappointments? Delights?

There are numerous posts from people who are overwhelming delighted after being given Flickr Pro accounts by pre-Yahoo pros. Many of them do not know their donors. Some talk of how inspired they have become. One says she considers her gift a lifeline - she is 42 and has early onset of Parkinsons.

This is truly a great model of the net nurturing the sharing of wealth and resources to grow community loyalty and sustainability.

The thing is, Pro account holders were promised "fab goodies as a thank you!" when Flickr did the Yahoo deal. It was interesting that in fact although the goodies included a year's extension of their accounts, they also got the two pro accounts TO GIVE AWAY.

Gifting something and getting satisfaction and warm feelings back.

My cat Annie

my cat annie - zefrank.com
I met Ze Frank at TED who was highly amusing. His site is fantastically time consuming.

Check out his cat Annie here.

Eve Ensler

IMG_0571,
originally uploaded by The Kitten's Toe.

"Women are the greatest resource in the world".

TED

Great Brains at TEDGlobal

Great Brains at TEDGlobal,
originally uploaded by The Kitten's Toe.

I met some very large brains today - such as Clay Shirky, Jimmy Wales (who I had met before - but not his wife, who is great), Yale law professor Yochai Benkler, and Charles Leadbeater.

They talked about the co-op world which shakes up the old institutional and commerce structures.

Great stuff.

Aubrey Degrey has just finished his amusing 18 minutes on how we should fight aging. Don't believe the gerontologists or whatever they are called. Check him out.

Last night we were treated to some Talvin Singh on the old drums. He had a geek with him on a Mac. Obviously.

Photos here.

TED

TED Global soundbites from Day 2

All from sustainable architect Bill McDonaugh.

"The Stone Age didn’t end because we ran out of stone."

"It took us 5,000 years to put wheels on our luggage."

"When was the last time anyone you know made oxygen?"

TED

TED soundbites

So far:

"I am your anti-meme" - Tom Reilly

"Globalisation is on speed" - Ashraf Ghani

"Get comfortable asking questions out loud" - Irshad Manji

"Liberating people with contagious knowledge" - Can't remember

"Go beyond the fear of pooling knowledge" - Hansulrich Obrist

TED

TED Global

Irshad Manji,
originally uploaded by The Kitten's Toe.

Oxford is nice. It is airy and full of students. Bloody boiling however.

Here for TED Global conference. We have only had two sessions so far (and a party) but so far so good. The former Afghan finance minister Ashraf Ghani told it like it is and said all these people with big brains are too busy designing great stuff - tech included - for themelves as opposed to looking to solve real problems.

We also heard biologist Richard Dawkins say that if he could re-engineer his brain he would make it so that he was a genius mathematician and he would love to time travel to walk with the dinos.

Irshad Manji, Canadian, lesbian, Muslim author, told us where Islam is going wrong.

David Deutsch - recluse physicist with a HUGE brain - told us all the evidence we need to know everything is right here with us. We live in multiple universes you know. Sometimes they intersect. He says we should not concern ourselves with how to stop global warming, but accept it and try to put it right - in other words, deal with it, don't avoid it. Learn how to live with the conditions it gives us.

I have been collecting great soundbites which I will blog separately. Right now I need to sleep. My telly keeps going on and off. Annoying.

TED

London Bomb Missing Persons

Eleven photos of missing people on the London Bomb Missing Persons group on Flickr.

Naughty Knitting

When did knitting get so naughty? Via We Make Money Not Art.

Cat therapy

So fluffy,
originally uploaded by The Kitten's Toe.

Had some very much needed cat therapy last night with Stella. She has adopted our mates. She acted like she had never had a good scratch tickle. She loved it. I loved it more.

New doll

New Doll's Head_01,
originally uploaded by GriXx.

Grixx on Flickr has been creating a new freaky doll. The face is incredibly haunting. I love seeing the evolution of these dolls.

Bad Kitty

Great B3ta animated gif.

London bomb missing persons

There is a new Flickr group for those still looking for missing people after the London bomb attacks.

The idea is for people to post images of loved ones and info on where and when they were last seen/heard so that then Blugg/podbat or some other clever clogs can map it on a Google map for people to consult.

Garfield & Garfield

Garfield & Garfield,
originally uploaded by isolano&son.

Loving this.

Google map and Flickr images of attacks

Google map and Flicrk images of attacks,
originally uploaded by The Kitten's Toe.

Check out Blugg's Google map of the London bombs. He is tagging in more Flickr images today.

Terror Attacks in London - Bluggcast

The Bluggcast version of events.

Cat & Candle

Cat & Candle,
originally uploaded by fofurasfelinas.

A bit of fluffiness to lighten the mood.

Today's collborative digital media efforts

A good round-up of collaborative digital media resources on today’s London bombings by Barb Dybwad on the Social Software blog.

Emergency procedure?

So, I am in awe of the London emergency services. I have no doubt that they no what they have to do. But I cannot believe they were not whipping out the old gas masks and bio suits as soon as they arrived. In fact, I watched the news reports most of the day and don't remember seeing one at all. Hmm.*

*I do acknowledge that the absence of such gear probably contributed to the lack of panic. Londoners are well used to seeing coppers gathering in groups around the streets. It usually happens when there is a big footie match.

London in terror

London Attack,
originally uploaded by greggchadwick.

This photo was taken by an Adam Stacey.

It has been on various websites now. What a surreal day.

I was running late and the tube I was on - Victoria Line - took so long to get to Kings X that I was beginning to tut out loud.

I remember I looked at my watch - something I never do on the tube because my commute is so predicatable - and it was already 0825.

It eventually reached Oxford Circus, having gone through Kings X, and I got off to change lines.

The power surges we heard about just after I arrived at work made me very suspiscious and my mate asked if I a poaranoid conspiracy theiorist.

I am. I love 24.

The amazing news machine went into action - well oiled. We were pretty much immediately put into action on tech angle stories. It was great.

The blogosphere oozed with support messages, info, useful links, news bits, witness accounts.

Flickr began to bulge with photos.

Friends began checking in and checking up - my family I phoned immediately. I have heard from all those I know may have been affected.

Everyone's Ok.

I eventaully made it home after walking to a primary school using a handheld GPS device which sent us the wrong way on the pouring rain. There we met his dad who drove us home - avoiding jams; we didn't see any jams. Amazing.

What a day. Poor people.

London Explosions

Blinkx
Go here for all the web TV reports on the London explosions.

Flickr group here.

The dullest blog in the world

Have you checked out The dullest blog in the world yet?

Worst gadget flops of all time?

via Engadget
While checking out a link on Endgadget about Google maps and GPS tagging, I noticed the call for submissions for the Worst Gadget of All Time. Must think of some submissions.

Flying carpet - Engadget

via Engadget
This would freak me out being scared of heights.

If you go down to the park today...

Geocaching in Hyde Park,
originally uploaded by The Kitten's Toe.

Hyde Park, London that is you will have found a bunch of geocaching geeks trying out a certain company's new GPS devices. There were some very healthy looking outdoor types who do GPS training in the Lake District and who geocache every weekend.

They were talking to a bunch of geeks who spent most of their days and nights in front of a computer screen.

Anyway, it was great fun and I am really getting obsessed with GPS applications. I can see so many possibilities for it, which really do meld rich online media with physical places in very rich ways that have not really been easy before.

Contentious : Connection Age

Amy Gahran rings my bell in her blog post here about The Connection Age.

I wrote quite extensively about this in my research in the late 90s on virtual communities. My thesis was an exploration of the interconnections between the on and the offline.

The thesis about that intersection between the on and the off was built around themes of (inter)connectedness, difference, relationships and articulations. Sounds like academic bollocks at first glance. But Amy's post brought it all back into focus for me in the context of how web technologies are weaving their way into our everyday lives.

BBC SPORT | London beats Paris to 2012 Games

Woohoo! That means we get a Tube line extension and our flat value could go up! Let's just hope global warming speeds before 2012 so that it won't be a damp one. I am joking of course.

Laughing cat

DSCN0614.JPG,
originally uploaded by bystrouska.

Can't beat a cat that talks.

Dude

CIMG2007,
originally uploaded by camoby.

Check out the car we hired in the US. I say it is Champagne coloured. Blugg said it was gold.

Horse and Crab

Horse and Crab,
originally uploaded by brex.

Our new friend Bre does arty stuff with plastic horses he buys in charity shops. I must see if I can find one for him - a special British one.

So, we are back in dreary litter-filled, drab London. At least the fish are OK and so is the house. Just slept all today and am back to work tomorrow.

I have post holiday blues. Think I might do the lottery this week. I like traveling. I love hotels I love airports.

Ho hum.

Check out Blugg's GPS map of our trip tp Alcatraz. He did one for Gnomedex too.

Borgs come here

Borgs come here,
originally uploaded by The Kitten's Toe.

You will be assimilated!

On our way home

More fog,
originally uploaded by The Kitten's Toe.

So here we are at SFO - mega early. My fault. It is a genetic thing. But that's good because it means I can upload some more photos and do this post. So check out the most recent pictures I took with my great new camera. It has been a fantastic trip - seems like three holidays in one. Our only complaint would be the weather. Fog followed us everywhere. And it was cold. No one warned us about it. Oh well. At least I had a couple of hours swimming outside in the pool.

Lovely scenery around Monteray etc but a lot of it is kind of more for when you require a zimmer frame or some sort of "sensible automatied vehicle". Not the convertible we had. Even Santa Cruz was a dive we thought - a bit too "woo yay" for us. Is there somewhere that is for "in-betweenies" like us? Maybe New York.

Since we are heading out of the states, security have not seemed too bothered about us. We were "randomnly chosen" to undergo the fullest search you can get without being stripped twice while here. It seems they don't give a damn if you are leaving the states. Jolly good.

I have so much audio and a couple of videos of my new friend Al Cat Traz, who you will hear and see a lot more of soon. Until then, we prepare for boarding. And to be bored.