Category Archives: Uncategorized

The day Steve Jobs dissed me in a keynote

The day Steve Jobs dissed me in a keynote

 

 

In May 2003, Apple invited me to their headquarters to discuss getting CD Baby‘s catalog into the iTunes Music Store.

iTunes had just launched two weeks before, with only some music from the major labels. Many of us in the music biz were not sure this idea was going to work. Especially those who had seen companies like eMusic do this exact same model for years without big success.

I flew to Cupertino thinking I’d be meeting with one of their marketing or tech people. When I arrived, I found out that about a hundred people from small record labels and distributors had also been invited.

We all went into a little presentation room, not knowing what to expect.

Then out comes Steve Jobs. Whoa! Wow.  

Read the article in full – it’s downhill from here

 

Which just goes to show how big corporations live in a different world to small companies – they don’t even speak the same language or use the same currency. Small business live on their wits and their cashflow – big ones like Apple carve out their progress like a supertanker – and supertankers are not known for being able to sidestep a small dingy – sadly it has to be the dingy owner who gives way.

Renamed

I’ve renamed this blog from Right Brain to Notes. It’s usually my immediate thoughts on a story rather than something substantially creative so the new title feels more honest.

York Mystery Plays’ return to Museum Gardens welcomed (From York Press)

Media_httpwwwyorkpres_llicc

YORK Mystery Plays??? return to its home in the Museum Gardens has been welcomed by the cast and crew who have helped bring the event back to York???s events calendar.Jonathan Brown, general manager of Riding Lights Theatre Company, said: ???People have really fond memories of the plays being here. It has a fabulous outdoor setting, with a festival atmosphere. It just feels good.???

Really excited about Riding Lights Theatre Company being involved in the York Mystery Plays.

Ten years since the North Yorkshire Floods of 2000

Media_httpnewsbbcimgc_oiukm

Ten years since the BBC Radio York team served the county of North Yorkshire during the worst floods in living memory and in some areas, since records began.
Staff worked a 24 hour shift system and we broadcast live throughout a seven day period. People came to rely on our service, listening to the updates in remote places cut off from the outside world by the rising waters.
At times I became part of the county’s emergency response team – invited in to briefings at Silver Command at Fulford Road Police Station in York. A fine line had to be drawn between our public service and our impartiality – one I think I stood astride with integrity.
The following spring BBC Radio York was honoured with a Radio Academy Gold Award for Community Service. One of the memorable proud moments of my broadcasting career – possible only because of the great team I worked with at the studios in Bootham Row.

Improved Wi-Fi is Hi-Pri on East Coast Trains

New and improved Wi-Fi service

 

Wireless internet that???s quicker, better quality, and more reliable ??? that???s what you asked for, and that???s what we???re pleased to deliver. From Monday 4 October 2010, you will experience the benefits of a new and improved Wi-Fi system on board all East Coast trains.

The updated system uses the latest HSPA and 3G technology so you will enjoy a more reliable Wi-Fi connection with faster upload and download speeds while you travel. Aerials and modems have also been updated, ensuring the system is compatible with future communication standards.

All Standard Class passengers are entitled to 15 minutes free access to the improved Wi-Fi system. Thereafter, access will be charged at ??4.95 for 60 minutes or ??9.95 for 24 hours. First Class passengers can still access the service free of charge.

 

O and by the way – it’s no longer free like it used to be. I would have to be a lot better to justify the cost to me.

Is this comedy – or a fatal mistake?

Do I remove the 10:10 Tags from my keyring? The campaign seems to have seriously misjudged the public reaction to this “comedy short” written by Richard Curtis.
Or have they created the kind of buzz that will make us think more about the impact of global warming?
My initial reaction is – FAIL
10:10 have removed the film from their website with a light hearted “Ooops” apology, but it’s all over YouTube and the denialists are having a field day in the comments columns.
What do you think?

Britain from the Air

An exhibition of these large scale pictures of Britain from the Air is about to open in Bath but a small sample of images is online. They’re promising an interactive map with scaled down versions of all the images soon.

I’m ‘Not Ashamed’ either – but I won’t be wearing the badge | Ekklesia

The ???Not Ashamed??? campaign fails to promote the breadth and depth of Christian engagement in public life and thus does a disservice to the cause it claims to champion.

Like so many other initiatives, it gives the impression that British Christians are a paranoid group concerned only with their own interests and clinging desperately onto privileges which compromise their integrity.

And that really is something to be ashamed of.

I am inclined to agree (I suppose that means I do agree) with this comment from Simon Hill in his Ekklesia blog. What do you think?