Grrr... Enhanced CDs

I just pulled 2x CDs out of the collection to play whilst I'm working. Guess what? They both happen to be enhanced CDs and the PC won't play just the music. Can't find any audio files, tried all my audio software and still no joy. That's all I wanted to hear, music, sweet music.

Instead I get a GUI that takes over 19 inches of screen and a poncey interface to play a video. TWICE !!

That'd be one for a Beatdown - Beatdown CDs with my unenhanced fist.

Citroën C4 Transformer Dance

Wow. TV ads have been good recently. The Honda Diesel Hate Something Change Something ad was a fantastic piece of psychedellic animation, and now the marketing bods at Citroën have come up the Transformer Dance for the new C4.

Basically there's a nice shiny new Citroën C4, and all of a sudden it turns into a Transformer (Robots in disguise) and does a funky dance. Incredible.

So who's the guy in the suit, huh?

Actually it's Justin Timberlake's choreographer, Marty Kudelka. And that's no suit, that's a 100% CGi robot, acurately laser-scanned from a brand new Citroën C4 and pain-stakingly modelled in 3D over two months.

The 30 second TV ad was dreamt up by the Citroën creative team's London office, produced by Spy Films in Toronto, with animation by the Embassy vfx house in Vancouver and set to the tune of "Jacques Your Body (make me sweat)" - Les Rythmes Digitales.

Marty Kudelka did 30 takes of his dance, with motion sensors on his body (See picture inset) and one was used to make the car Dance!

“It was certainly an unusual challenge. I tried to imagine myself as a robot with mechanical movements to capture how it would realistically move, which parts would bend and overlap, and then simply let myself go. Effectively, I became a transformer, listened to the music and let the dance flow,” said Mr Kudelka.

'Nuff said.

2004/11/24 - Looking for the C4 Citroen TV ad? See it here

Oh no, iPod sock

You heard right, iPod sock, a sock for your iPod. Nothing this daft has been "invented" since the Reebok step, another one of consumerism's most pointless "innovations".

With over 300 third-party iPod accessories already on the market, this is Apple's first official iPod accessory, revealed during the launch of the iPod photo and the special edition U2 iPod.

Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO, officially unveiled the iPod sock in a pack of 6 (green, purple, grey, orange, oink and blue) and, no it wasn't the 1st of April. Jobs also joked that the $29 pack of socks were to keep your "iPod warm"? It also comes with instructions.

The iPod sock is supposed to be ready for launch about now, but is expected to be ready for shipping in mid-December... Good timing, Steve, just in time for the festive retail skirmish.

Joke as I may about the iPod sock I have this funny feeling that it could be this season's "must have" present. (Imagine if they don't ship enough - iPod socks on eBay for stupid prices?) If I hadn't turned down an iPod for Xmas I'd probably be daft enough to want one too. Or would I?

I've got tons of odd socks, anyone wanna stitch and market them for the iPod?

Star Trek Apartment

This may be old news to some, but I only just saw this yesterday and went investigating...

This guy in Leicester has got a flat (apartment) totally kitted out Star Trek style. It's not just some cheap mock-up, it's a top-quality, absolutely authentic Star Trek style and it's just awesome. It's now been sold but he originally put it up for auction on eBay for $1,000,000. Go check it out for some cool photos, and more at the Star Trek Apartment designer's photo blog.

What d'ya think? Forget the price, could you live in a place like that?

Left OR Right?

This whole left v right thing really pisses me off.

There's either capitalism or socialism, right or left, black or white, you're either with us or against us, good or evil, rich or poor, winner or loser, is the glass half-empty or half-full?

And woe betide those of you who can't make up your minds, those of you who sit on the fence, in the middle.

Well I agree with some of the "left" and with some of the "right" but why must my personal, political or social thinking and behaviour be in one camp or another? If I get to a T-junction in my car then fine, I must choose to drive left or right. But at a cross-roads I can go ahead.

Isn't the ability to take all this onboard and make balanced decisions what makes us wholesome and rounded individuals and societies? Whose idea is it to try and keep us from that? Why do people want to railroad us into these limited choices? Assholes.

Halo 2 - First Contact

11:40 last night I went down the local store and the queue was out the door. I waited about 20 minutes before getting my hands on the long awaited Halo 2. Some guy bought the "Strategy Guide" so we shot him and informed his family.

By 12:20 I was back home.

Halo 2 - check
Bad ass Headphones - check
Packet of Jaffa Cakes - check
Liquid Refreshment - check
Lights off - check

First thoughts about Halo 2 - It's often difficult producing a sequel to at least equal the original, but the guys at developer Bungie have pulled a master stroke with this game. Halo 2 has some refinements over the orignal Halo and a few new features.

A brief rundown

• Master Chief's battle suit powers up quicker
• Can fire two weapons at once
• Warthogs take damage
• Warthogs catch fire
• Enemy and friendly AI seems better tuned
• Covenant speak English
• New enemies
• New weapons
• More "trashable" environment
• The physics engine is very reallistic (the way bodies tumble, items get airborne and land, explosions etc...)
  

That'll do for now, I'm in a hurry to get out the door...

Halo 2 at first glance is pretty awesome. I was planning on hitting the hay at 3 am but ended up catching zees at 5 am. Thoroughly enjoying Halo 2, though I feel that this one, so far has been "easier".

There is a twist already, though, I didn't expect to be playing what I am now...

Big guns in confined spaces

This is really no laughing matter but me being me I saw an amusing side. Al-Jazeera news has been handed a videotape claiming that a group has captured 20 Iraqi soldiers. I saw this on the TV within the last couple of hours and it's the image that concerns me.

Look at the photo. It's a small room. The guy to the right of the picture is pointing a rocket-launcher at the captured Iraqi soldiers. Presumably he's "guarding" them. Now what if one of them makes a break for it? What's he gonna do, SHOOT?

Postcard from Prague

My mum was in Prague about a month ago (that's Prague, as in Czech Republic, or Praha as the card shows below) and now, over 4 weeks later, I've only just received my postcard from Prague. Thanks Mom :) I shall be looking out for my own cheap flight to Prague - I've seen flights for as low as 60GBP including return and tax!

Rats! Missed them scary Haloween costumes...

There was a zombie, a skeleton, the reaper and a ghost knock on the door this year. How come none of the kids 'round here wore any of the Scariest Halloween Costumes?

Halo 2 Fever

So Halo 2 on Xbox has already chalked up over 1.5 million pre-orders in the U.S. alone. And that's old news, Halo 2 was there for the October 19 official press release, that's nearly 3 weeks ago !!

11 November: Official figure for first day North American sales was 2.4 million units sold...

The other thing I found out is that the Americans will get it first, on November 9. Us Brits will have to wait 'til November 11...

Anyway, I just pre-ordered my copy, like I did with my Xbox, and hope the buzz is better this time 'round. I got my Xbox on a damp March morning, taking the time off work to get my hands on the "little" black box. I even cruised to the shop early to get the front of the queue...

...there was just me and a 10 year-old with his dad...

This time the store's open from 11:30pm to 1am the next morning so that we can get our hands on Halo 2 ASAP. I hope the turnout's better this time...

Halo 2 - Limited Edition | Halo 2 | Halo 2 Official Strategy Guide

Fireworks

Well, that's Bonfire night, or Fireworks night over for another year. Luckily the laws for the under 18s possessing fireworks in public has kept the street a bit safer this year. We may have a few more fireworks going off over the week to come, and then some at New Year, but generally 2004's not been too bad :)

Went to a public fireworks display in Aldershot last night. It drizzled with rain only when the fireworks went off and not before, between or after LOL. That didn't make any difference though, just meant I had to keep my camera safe from the rain for most of the time. Also it wasn't too cold out.

The rain kept the smoke down though, so we were kept in a haze of fog for most of the time, so even though I didn't shoot any really clear pictures of the fireworks themselves I took a load of interesting photos. I shall have to file them under "experimental" and "ambiguous backgrounds". Fingers crossed there'll be a clear night for the fireworks display next year :)

Bad Day at Black Watch

A few weeks ago British Army were asked to go assist with an American military operation in Iraq and 850 troops of the Black Watch regiment were moved to an area south west of Baghdad, to the north of and outside of the British patrolled section of southern Iraq. The deployment is expected to be just temporary whilst U.S. forces concentrate on a mission to remove insurgents from their stronghold in the town of Falluja, west of Baghdad.

Since their arrival at their new base, the troops of the Scottish Black Watch regiment have come under constant mortar attack at "Camp Dogwood". Now, after just 2 days of operational duty they have suffered a number of casualties after an attack by a suicide bomber and, as a result, 3 British soldiers and an Iraqi interpreter have died.

Deepest sympathies go out to the families of the soldiers and civilian who died and to the families and friends of anyone and everyone who has lost their life in this stupid war in Iraq.

You can read the BBC news story Suicide attack kills UK soldiers and go to CNN to view a list of US & coalition forces casualties for the whole of this conflict.

Sympathies also go out to Tony Blair for believing this was the right thing to do and to George W Bush for being a complete warmongering asshole.

Peace to everyone else.

i against i

Man, Bad Brains, what a band. As with most stuff, something just made me think of them the other day. That was it, I couldn't be arsed to get my turntable out, as I promised in my tribute to John Peel so I ordered "i against i" on CD.

I heard Bad Brains on either the Friday Rock Show or John Peel's show, back when we all used to be much bigger radioheads. Bad Brains were dubbed as hardcore/ crossover/ funk/ punk/ fusion band or something like that and they really fucking rocked. I cycled 5 miles to the next town which had a bigger record store, bought my vinyl and cycled back. I do miss my vinyl but I don't miss cycling with a cherished LP hanging from the handlebars in a plastic bag.

Anyhows - music. Bad Brains, i against i - classic album. It's a real intellignet mix of influences from reggae through funk to some fine strangulation of guitar strings. Nowadays this may be considered simply a great mix of styles but at the time this was the start of hardcore, this was groundbreaking stuff. The other kids would wonder who the fuck bad brains were and why the hell did I like this kinda music? But for me Bad Brains epitomised all that was good in music - experimental sounds, mixed beats and riffs, raw, loud, funky, rocking, complex and clever breaks.

Although they've had some punch-ups and line-up changes, this is the album with the versatile HR on vocals, Dr Know scorching the riffs, Darryl Jenifer on bass and Earl knocking out a steady beat. Play it LOUD, bang your head, get into this again, Man, these boys rock :)) And if you haven't got a copy, then do yourself a favour and go get "i against i" - Bad Brains

Track #2 "i against i"

in the quest for the test to fulfill an achievement
everybody's only in it for themselves
when the fact of the matter is they just don't care
to extend a helping hand to anyone else
so tell me why, did you have to lie
and try to make me all confused about the U.S.A.
when the fact of the matter is you just don't care
to comprehend or understand a single word I say

I don't want to have I go against I
I don't want to have I go against I

well let me tell you

the same old story, no factual glory
I against I against I against I against...
and I say I don't like it, and I know I don't want it
I against I against I against I against I
almighty watching, almighty watching
I against I against I against I against I
and I say I don't like it, and I know I don't want it
I against I against I against I against...

I said who's gonna tell the youth about the drugs
about the drugs, mugs, bugs, and the police thugs
about the rotten stinkin' rackets and the fantasies
around the nation, around the nations

oh baby what you gonna do?
I tell you the truth is looking straight at you
oh baby, baby what you gonna do?
I tell you the truth is looking straight at you

I got a brass continental with a 300 Z, I got 2 color TV and a video too
I got a rest home in Jamaica for my fantasy, for my family
around the nation

what you gonna do?
what you gonna do?
what you gonna do?