Thursday, June 24, 2010

iPhone 4

iPhone 4 vs. iPhone

View original size for the impressive close-up of the 960x640 Retina display, compared to the 2007 iPhone's inferior graphics.

Returned to Tom's a little while ago, trying out FaceTime now. We arrived at Glendale Galleria at about 06:30, but there were at least 500 people ahead of us in the parking garage reservation queue, which snaked around like those stacked lines you see at amusement park rides. There was a separate line of at least 100 people who hadn't made a reservation at the far end. The Apple employees handled everything quite well -- coming out and distributing water, coffee, danishes and donuts. At 07:00 the first people were let in to the mall, 25 at a time, in pulses about 12-13 minutes apart. For every 50 people in the reservation queue, one person from the non-reservation queue was taken to join that group. The non-reservationist girl who came up to join us had been waiting since 22:00 last night; she was the 7th person in the non-reservation line. Once inside the mall there were several more (shorter) lines to stand in before reaching the store. The Apple Store was processing about 150 people per hour. We were out of the store, activated iP4 in hand with contacts transferred, at 10:45.

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Dara O'Briain Talks Funny

Hilarity and skepticism, combined in one spectacular comedy act. Irish comedian Dara O'Briain performs at the Hammersmith Apollo.

On the joys of live comedy:


How to market products for men, and input from the audience:


Part 3, a discourse on homeopathy and psychics:


The wellness industry, rugby, and why comedians hate magicians:


Cobblers, lapdancing clubs and the "turn-down" team:


Hotel underwear sculpting:


Buying a house:


The cobblers chase down a jewelry thief:


The encore, incorporating all the stories he got from the crowd: