NiallOK’s Blog

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I’m posting this entry using the just-released beta of Google Chrome, the new browser from search giants, Google, and I have to say, on first impressions, I’m pleasantly surprised by how good it is - it’s fast, was easy to install, is easy to use, and has a nice clean interface.

It’s practically identical to Firefox 3 in a lot of ways yet stands on it’s own (in a sort of Safari way - except better) in others - including its design - with the tabs neatly tucked into the titlebar and the address bar doubling (or is it ‘trebling’?) as a search entry box and bookmarks launcher. It’s quite tempting after using it for only about half an hour to switch over to it as my primary browser… but I’ll give it a while yet!

Also, as it seems pretty streamlined and lightweight, I wonder will we see a mobile phone version coming out soon…?

Definitely one to watch.

Here’s Bill doing his “Yo yo yo, homeys!” pose. Anyone out there with Photoshop “skillz” want to paste a basketball shirt onto him? I would, but I’m rushing out the door to work… Maybe I’ll get on it later :p

Anyway,- Bill Gates (the man who, 4 years ago, said that spam would be eradicated within 2 years) has stepped down from his position at Microsoft and will now concentrate on his charitable efforts. BBC News have a good breakdown of the good and bad, the hits and misses of Bill Gates here. It kinda paints Microsoft in a bad enough light, making out that they eat other companies for breakfast, are slow on the uptake, quite litigious, and still enormously successful - all of which, of course, is true.

I wonder what Bill would make of this…

(a van I saw in Swords today)

● The fastest way to go up a hill? Zig-zag! … who knew, eh?

● Is this the bus of the future?

● I know Mulley’s an Elmo doll fan but would he be an less so if he knew that one of them recently threatened to kill a Florida toddler?

● The European Commission don’t trust Microsoft - well there’s a shock.

● Now that Blu-Ray has won the format wars (thanks, Toshiba! Glad I got a PS3 now!) it looks like the HD-DVD add-on for the XBox 360 is due to drop to 50 bucks.

● Google in your brain - good idea/bad idea?

● Unless we can change the orbit of the Earth, we’re all screwed… well… in 7.6 billion years that is!

● OSAlt - find open source alternatives to a huge range of commercial software packages. Nice idea.

● The trailer for the new Star Trek movie - supposedly, this is the Irish page - shouldn’t it really say “St. Stephen’s Day” and not “Boxing Day”..?

Been away from this blog for a few days. There are reasons. Work aside, there’s a few other web sites I maintain which needed attention lately - one being ShiteDrivers which features a new entry today from me about kids. They can be shite drivers too, you know. The ShiteDrivers site has been shortlisted for the Irish Blog Awards - which gives me an excuse to stick on my best suit and head to Dublin on March 1st!

Another site I maintain is the Dundalk FM 100 one - which is also based on WordPress. The latest additions are podcasts and YouTube videos (one can be seen on the RehabCare on Air page) plus a full schedule and loads more besides including live football scores and commentary!

My own sites aside, it’s amusing to see Marks and Spencer making a slight cock-up, in trying to sell a lingerie model (with ‘durable hardwood feet’) on their web site. Great value at only £1,549!

Via Damien… iPhone’s available in Ireland… how trustworthy does this look?

Ralph Wiggum for President! Oh yes! … Do you “dig the wig”?

Ruairi thinks it never happens that you’re waiting for ages for a bus and then two come along at once… I beg to differ. Happened to me loads of times when I lived in Dolphin’s Barn in Dublin.

As Conor Pope reports, BT can be pretty nasty too when it comes to billing for their broadband ’service’ (or lack thereof)

Finally, from the “ooh that’s entertaining… and clever… and incredibly nerdy” department (and via Michèle) comes this… a tune made entirely of Windows sounds: