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blogging on the iPhone

Friday, March 6, 2009

The ability to edit your web site, blog, or CMS has never been easier.

Tools like WordPress allow relative technonovices to produce sophisicated interfaces to their businesses, organisations, projects, or simply their thoughts and ideas.

Better yet, they allow others to contribute or even collaborate.

So in my experiments with WordPress I was pleased to find an iPhone App handily called WordPress for iPhone. It allows me to make this post to you now - including adding pictures (which can be screenshots if you know how).

So now I can update this site on the move. It has limitations of course, a few of them…

  • Images are all just appended to the post
  • Images are automatically sized, and formatted, irrespective of your preferences
  • Links cannot be added to the post
  • Text cannot be styled, including these bullets

The rest is not gonna stop you making a basic post, and getting something out there, and even that is good to while away a while on a journey or if you have no access to a desktop… and some of these things are slated to be addressed in version 1.2 which is in beta as I type.

Guess I should trial some other options from the App Store…

d.


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is this really the last.of.fm?

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Well, I have been using last.fm for a while now, it’s neat being able to be at work, or just connected via my iPhone (last.fm have a dinky little iPhone app) and know that I have access to “my” music library.

last.fm on an iPhone

Of course the library is not mine, but it was started by me listing artists I quite liked and wanted to listen to. It then plays music from your list of artists, and from artists that it thinks you might like based on it’s massive database. So, worst case scenario it plays the odd dull track. Best case? It throws up a new song or artist, the occasional gem amongst the familiar.

And now I might try and pay attention to it and clean up the library now and then, which should help either neutralise it into dullness, or help it become the fantastic service that it purports to be. Well, time will tell.

Anyhow. Does it replace an actual music library? Nope. How could it replace hand-tuned, carefully chosen selections of albums and songs bought over decades? Well maybe in time, but no danger at the moment.

Does it replace FM (other radio delivery media are available)? Nope. So long as FM radio is put together by real life people with talent, then I think that survives for long enough. Of course, if the talent dries up, or can be automated…

In the meantime, if you wanna listen to my library, there is now a link from the side bar of this site… so tune in.

d.

 

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entertaining Illidan

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Illidan Stormrage, self-proclaimed overlord of Outland, stands as the widely regarded pinnacle achievement in The Burning Crusade. Okay, so there is Sunwell, but it sits back on Azeroth and is insignificant before the impending Wrath of the Lich King.

So, I went to talk to Illidan.

Asking for Illidan\'s submission.

But Illidan was having nothing of it. Despite being having been beaten in single combat by Arthas, he still thought himself a match for any that approached him. And indeed, many guilds and raiding parties have entered the Black Temple, seat of his power, and many have failed to return.

But tonight Illidan must pay the price for his foolishness. For tonight I was lock tanking his demonic phase, and my raiding guild were showing what teamwork and organisation can do to overcome exceptional opponents.

Illidan pays for his lack of co-operation.

And now… Illidan dead… and only six months since I was a fresh faced, innocent, apprentice warlock from the quietest suburbs of Stormwind, I have been part of a team to conquer Outland.

And now we must prepare. For now, routes are beginning to open up to the icy wastes of Northrend. There, amongst quest and treasure, has retreated Naxxramas. And beyond that, the opportunity to overcome the Wrath of the Lich King.

I look forward to it.

d.

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guilded and happy

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

From 7 June to 17 September 2008. Two things have happened to my happy warlock in that time.

First, I have levelled to 70.

As an Afflication spec Warlock, with my Imp as a mana battery rather than a source of damage, and the joy of mutiple DoT spells on mutiple targets, aided by judicious use of Fear and Howl of Terror, the grind to 70 was great fun for the most part - and since I had not played on the Alliance before, many of the quests were new, even if the mechanics of them were familiar.

Then I worked on my gear! The result? I crafted my fingers bare to the knuckles, making Spellstrike Hood and Pants, and the Frozen Shadoweave Shoulders, Robe, and Boots. I joined random groups for Karazhan, and completed as many heroic instances as I could… I wanted to break the magical 1000 bonus shadow damage before moving on to bigger challenges.

Now that I have geared up enough that I feel comfortable enough to apply to join a raiding guild, I just needed to make the decision of which one is best suited to me. Relaxed in approach, friendly in attitude, but keen to make progress a priority, and venture into new content. I don’t want to be kicked for not attended 100% of raids, but I want the guild to make raiding its priority. Can such a beast be found. I think so. And friendly recommendations, and a little preapplication grouping helps to get to know you have chosen wisely.

Okay, so perhaps I am not as geared as some would like. I am more suited to Karazhan and the lairs of Gruul and Magtheridon than the raiding destination of my chosen guild - they are comfortably farming Serpentshrine Cavern and only have the big man left in The Eye. But I am a late arrival in Outland, and I have little choice but to chance my arm. Heh, I have experience! Experience counts. Honest.

Personally, and standing firmly on my soapbox, a good player with poor gear is always a better choice than a poor player in good gear. I just hope that they think I am good enough.

As a postscript to this particular ramble, if anyone wants a great resource for Warlocks, you could do worse than dig around in The Warlocks Den. Possibly the only place on the Internet for dedicated lock talk.

Until next time.

d.

Credits:

Spell links courtesy of WoWWiki.

Gear links courtesy of WoWHead.

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more or less an iPhone

Friday, July 11, 2008

Today Apple release the new iPhone. The second iPhone is cunningly called the iPhone 3G - which does beg the question… what will they call the third generation iPhone?

iPhone 3G

And what about the original iPhone would I like to have changed?

Let me install third party applications! I have an objection to “jailbreaking” my iPhone, and yet the idea of having a little Mac in my pocket really appeals. Bring it on. And Apple, you delivered. Awesome.

Give me better mapping software! Google Maps is great. The route planning is not bad. But give me more. Give me better better location finding. Yes GPS will do. Thanks. Now give me decent live directions. Well, maybe with the next release.

Give me a to do list, which we already have in iCal! No? Shame.

That camera really never cut it. We needed a better quality optical system, with higher resolution, and more options for taking and dealing with the images. Well, seems tweaks to the imaging software will improve our pictures, but apart from that, no change. Pity.

And while we still need to pay at least £30 a month on contract here in the UK, depending on how much you want your wallet to be lightened by each lunar cycle, then you can actually get one with no upfront cost. So Apple now play the other mobile manufactures at their own game, for better or worse.

Oh well, a mixed bag. But, yeah, I went out and bought one.

d.

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