The QRpedia project I helped found has gone from strength to strength. It's now in more museums, towns, and art galleries than ever before. It's helping open up exhibits to people in hundreds of languages. That said, I've not been able to devote as much time as I would like to - nor have other project members. We'd like to see it blossom and grow but, sadly, our resources are too limited to be able to make much impact. So, it with great pride that we're happy to announce that QRpedia has…
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In 2012 I think I saw the comedian Richard Herring 6 times. I saw him in a mixture of his own shows, gigging with other comedians, and on game shows. He's great - a brilliant wordsmith, and frighteningly clever - but after watching him half a dozen times, the cracks began to show. What seemed like an amazing off-the-cuff remark was suddenly transformed into a cliché. An observation which looked like it had just zinged into his brain was now revealed as a well rehearsed skit. Comedy - …
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As I was exiting Oxford Railway Station, I glanced at this screen showing the bus departure times. Notice anything odd about it? sigh Yet again someone has shoehorned Microsoft Windows into a product it is completely unsuitable for. Why does a screen which displays a fairly basic set of information need to be running on an expensive Windows licence? Moreover, why is such a machine connected to the public Internet? For bonus points, take a look at the program which has automatically…
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A slightly tongue-in-cheek title for quite a serious subject. The South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust have a list of emergency defibrillators available for public use. To help raise awareness, they've released an app... South Central Ambulance Service@SCAS999Our new app, which locates over 600 AEDs, could help you save the life of a person suffering sudden cardiac arrest. ow.ly/qMX4W❤️ 10💬 8🔁 007:31 - Thu 14 November 2013 Of course, it's iPhone and iPad only. Who cares if A…
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I was recently given 3 rather locked-down network cameras. Each camera was pre-programmed to communicate with a specific website, and only attach to a predefined wireless access point. Naturally, there was no supplied username or password. I thought about how I might get access. Using a man-in-the-middle attack to sniff the password, or trying to dump the firmware and examine that. Sadly, all the vulnerabilities previously reported no longer work. After a little bit of thought, I went for…
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I once read an excellent article which asked the seemingly simple question "Is Kosher food Halal?" It's worth a read to understand the politics, religion, cultural assumptions, ecclesiastical law, and bigotry behind the two systems of approved food. To me, the argument is a bit like saying "Who would win in a fight - Chewbacca the Wookie, or Worf the Klingon?" Fascinating, but ultimately the product of two imaginary systems with no real world relevance. Sadly, we live in a world where we…
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I've started listening to a lot of podcasts recently. My commute has got a bit longer, which means that I have much more time to spend sitting in traffic listening to interesting things. I'd like to review some of the pocasts which fill my commute with joy and wonder! Today's episode: Mobile Industry Shennanigans! I'm in the mobile industry and - while my personal opinions are obviously the best - it's nice to hear from other people working in the same space. The Voicemail I think I've…
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Like many people, I used to be a slave to my work inbox. It's hard to maintain a decent work/life balance when you're receiving business emails during evenings and weekends. Sometimes it's due to a workaholic colleague, or someone in a different timezone, or just those damned automated reminders from the finance system. I don't want to carry a separate device, and I know I can't rely on will-power alone. So, I've been using Samsung's "Peak Schedule" feature for its Android phones. I know I…
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If I were a despised broadsheet journalist, I'd probably write a really insensitive article about all the fab finds you can pick up for free at your local food bank. I'd write about how very jolly it is, top tips for bagging the best stuff, and promptly get a load of angry Twitter messages sent to me - along with a gazillion page views. I'm not that person. So here's my middle-class experience of a food bank (by proxy). Liz and I have recently moved to Oxford and - as part of the process of …
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...not Terance, Terrence, Terrance, Terense, Tarance, or any other variation. "Terence" is spelt with one T, a thrice of Es, and a single R, N, and C. The letter A should be conspicuous by its absence. The letter R is an only child. The letter S has no place in my name. Those people caught transgressing these very simple rules with be placed on The List. FFS! My name is on the email I sent you, I sign off with it, it's there on my work pass, at the top of my blog, etc. Do I actually need to …
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I'd like to propose that web designers around the world spend one day this year browsing the web with JavaScript disabled. I'm tentatively calling this "International No Javascript UseR Experience Day" or INJURED for short. A few weeks ago, a reader of my blog complained that all they saw was a blank screen. As Liz Conlan pointed out, my CSS was making the whole page invisible. My WordPress theme has a feature which renders the page blank until all the extra fonts etc have properly loaded -…
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I was at a funeral the other day. A group of us were sharing memories of the deceased. Talking about her laugh, how mean she could be, how we never told her that we loved her. Suddenly, a stranger walked over to us in the graveyard and said, "Friends, have you tried the great taste of the Big Kahuna Burger? With its mouthwatering blend of herbs and spices, you're sure to have a Big Kahuna Day! High-five me if you agree!" Needless to say, we each gave him a high-five in the face and spent the …
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