It’s nothing special, but this seemed worth noting:

Just don’t look at the ‘Unique’ count!

The world of computing, IT, and gadgetry encompasses a multitude of sins. So much so, that it is all but impossible to keep up to date with every aspect. Since returning to England and getting my laptop repaired, I’ve taken another look into Second Life — a whole portion of the connected-world of which I profess no understanding.

While it is very easy to pass-off virtual realms such as Second Life as mere games, they are becoming an ever increasing source of revenue for hosts and members alike. The model of selling virtual goods may seem somewhat alien, but it is one which works, as evidenced by the huge investments made by Sony and others in this space. In fact, it is not so dissimilar to the world of software and digital media, where we have the freedom to do something once and then sell it many many times.

A friend of mine now owns land in Second Life and makes her living selling fashion items. If you happen to be a Second Life member, check out her store:

She also keeps a rather nice mansion which serves as a further sales venue.

These days, it’s seems a rarity that I comment on software and, as most people are aware, even less common that I criticise Apple. This time, I couldn’t resist.

In the last couple of weeks, both Microsoft and Apple have simultaneously released upgrades to their music players supporting music profiling, allowing users to generate playlists of similar music on-the-fly.

While this technology has been in play in services such as Last.fm for some time now, it seems Apple still have some way to go — recommending your users try listening to a different song seems to be missing the point somewhat:

Just because I can…

Anyone who keeps up with the website will notice that I’ve switched the design back to v3.5. Somehow it just seems cleaner and easier to read.

Assuming things stay this way, I’ll be making a couple of minor tweaks to the design, adding a couple of header images and bringing in some elements from other designs.