Meditation
Meditation, originally uploaded by marcofiori
Last Wednesday I came across this woman. There are often people sitting, watching the Thames near the Millennium Bridge, but she was in a meditative pose, listening to music. I managed to snap her before walking off. Very peaceful methinks!
Fat Starling
Fat Starling, originally uploaded by marcofiori.
Here’s another shot from my escapades around St Pauls on Wednesday photographing starlings. I love the colour on this and the shape of the bird. I think it’s a really interesting shot.
Coverage – BCS
A few weeks ago MASERGY published its white paper on SVC (Scalable Video Coding) and how a Q0S Limited Plane can help solve desktop video implementation problems. We adapted the original white paper (published in InAVate) and sent in a bylined article for the prestigious BCS (The Chartered Institute for IT). The article can be found here and an extract can be found below:
Issues like packet loss have also long plagued video conferencing deployed over non ideal networks. That is why IT teams seek alternative means of deploying intra-corporate video.
One common counter-solution to solve network congestion is adding more bandwidth. This risks increasing the volume and management complexity of network traffic without addressing the causes of congestion. A second method is to deploy scalable video coding (SVC) technology to combat latency and packet loss.
Smoking Starling
Smoking Starling, originally uploaded by marcofiori
It’s funny how the best photographs are complete accidents. I was shooting some Starlings near St Pauls (more photos to come) and this little guy was perched on a bench. I didn’t realise the background until I got home. Chuffed with this.
Salty With A Chance of Spyballs
Go see Salt, it’d be insalting not to…
Having just watched Angelina Jolie star in spy thriller Salt, you can’t help think how fortunate the film has been with the recent US and Russia spy saga. It seems Cold War mistrust still exists in the twenty-first century and clandestine activities continue to run riot in both Russia and the US/UK. What the news has done is indirectly market Salt a pseudo-realistic thriller. No amount of viral PR could illicit the same result than the Chapman news has and while watching, you can’t help but draw comparisons between reality (however far-fetched it is) and the film.
Anyway context aside, it’s difficult to discuss Salt. It’s a film that weaves so effectively through the clever script, that talking about anything but the trailer, risks ruining it. Throughout the film, the writers manage to sustain your second-guessing as more characters reveal their truths. Paths interlink, alliances are broken and surprises are in abundance. Salt is an extremely competent narrative that’s helped by its frantic pace. It doesn’t slow down and refuses to release its grip on the audience. It’s definitely not a film that risks putting you to sleep.
Spy sleeper cells have always been loved by conspiracy theorists, and as more Cold War information is gradually made publicly available, Salt’s concept will garner more truth. Sure, there’s a few over-the-top moments that have little purpose outside of drama and shifting the film forward, but the majority of the set-pieces are believable. Consider the fact that its one of Jolie’s strongest performances to date and you’ve got one very polished film.
She takes total ownership of the character and portrays Evelyn Salt as a rugged cross between Bond, Bourne and Ethan Hunt. Salt is quick thinking, ruthless and extremely engaging. Highly recommended.
Sunbathing Pigeon
Sunbathing Pigeon, originally uploaded by marcofiori.
I love pigeons. Sure, they’re disease ridden, but I think they’re great photography subjects. Their movement always amuses me and they look at peace when catching some sun. I couldn’t resist this shot today on lunch; I love the deep-red eye.
Need A Designer? Try Dave at Xboxer
Thanks Dave!
I’m always keen to recommend those that do a good job. I recently read that 80% of new business comes from trusted referrals and I’m no exception. Ranging from where I get my hair cut (thanks Steve) to a recent client win via an existing client’s referral. So, as I have very little skill in digital design, I enlisted the help of Dave Burns at Xboxer360 to whip me up a logo for my portfolio (found in the top left of the page). Pretty sharp huh?
He’s extremely good at what he does, is reasonably price and most of all, delivers the service he provides with a smile. Feel free to email him at: dave[at]xboxer360[dot]com and his portfolio is here.
He’s an extremely talented web designer and you won’t regret it. Be sure to mention I sent you to him. Feel free to check out Xboxer360 as well, it’s one of the best Xbox 360 community sites out there.
Coverage – Macworld US
There’s been a lot of Intego coverage in the past week (Security.nl, Macworld Australia, Techworld). However the most helpful piece is the following feature on cleaning up your Mac’s cookies. Obviously it mentions Intego’s Washing Machine 2, but it does give some viable alternatives for those who want something a bit cheaper. Nonetheless, the full article can be found here.
A number of tools can help, including Intego’s $20 Washing Machine 2, which can also delete browser caches and other dross on demand or on schedule. Titanium’s Software’s free Onyx can also clean cookies from a couple of dozen browsers, though you can’t schedule it to run automatically. Deleting your cookies from time to time can clear out the hundreds or even thousands of them that accumulate. And in the process, it will give you a new, pristine identity when you visit Websites where you don’t have to log in.
GAMES?: Open Transport Tycoon Deluxe
Choo Choo
A few weeks ago The Telegraph’s games co-respondent Ashton Raze requested budding writers for a new project. The idea is GAMES? and you can find out about it here. I’ve often felt games journalism focuses too much on the big titles and not enough on the unexpected classics. GAMES? looks to rectify this. The first issue is out now and I wrote a feature on Open Transport Tycoon Deluxe, an open source version of Chris Sawyer’s strategy PC title. You can find the full piece here and an extract below. It’s one of my favourite games on the PC and I’m looking forward to contributing more to GAMES? in the future.
Ever since my friend grew a beard during a mammoth 14 hour Spore session, any activity that’s yielded similar levels of obsession has been labelled by its corresponding ‘beard’. So ladies and gentlemen, I have a Train Beard. We’re talking about OpenTTD, an open source clone of Chris Sawyer’s long extinct Transport Tycoon Deluxe.
oTTD, and the game it’s modelled on, is of a bygone era; one of the last giants of a time when simulation ruled the dominant platform, the PC. Rendered in isometric 2D, it concerned itself with the raw mechanics of transport simulation and the business that drove it: cargo.
Ship in a Bottle
Ship in a Bottle, originally uploaded by marcofiori.
The scale of this is actually huge. It’s just a trick of the photograph that makes it look small. It’s currently on the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square. I particularly like the effect the glass has on the image.