Hurry along Pippin!

Pippin and Auntie Mabel

Every so often, in an attempt to try and bring back pleasant childhood memories, I like to take trips down memory lane. Usually the best way of doing this is remembering the TV shows I used to watch. Very recently, I was reminded of an educational kids show called ‘Come Outside’. The star of the show was a dog called Pippin, who was really clever and did some amazing things – none of which I can clearly recall, but nevertheless still clever. The best part of the show was the multi coloured aeroplane which Auntie Mabel (Pippin’s owner) flew around to get to various locations where she’d embark on educational adventures. I learnt so much about how things work, for example how streetlights work, what happens to waste when it’s flushed down the toilet and how bread is made. Deep.

“Now I’m mad, real mad #JoeJackson”

Words cannot describe the extreme anger and frustration exhibited on Joe Jackson’s face. The stress, the anguish, the intensity, the pain.

Are mobile phones losing their character?

Samsung Galaxy (Left) and iPhone 4 (Right)

Walk into a mobile phone store these days and you’ll notice that most of the phones look the same; black in colour, huge screens and possibly one small button at the bottom. It’s almost impossible to tell the difference between two phones anymore.

The main reason behind the new look smartphone is the desire for more content. The very function of a mobile ‘phone’ is no longer about sending texts, or calling a mate, it’s now about browsing the web, gps, video recording and taking photos. All these activities require a larger screen which makes the most of every millimetre of the phone’s size. Gone are the days when mere buttons and a black and white screen were enough to communicate effectively; it’s all about the touch screen now.

A touch screen is a bit like marmite; you either love it or hate it. The traditionalist will always opt for a mobile with buttons, it’s familiar and provides the user with something they can actually feel and touch. Unlike a touch screen, which is often quite difficult to get to grips with, buttons provide the user with feedback after pressing each button - when you’ve pressed a button, you know you’ve pressed it.

Anyway, enough about buttons. The main difference is the lack of character and personality in modern mobile phones. Essentially, it’s just a screen. Where’s the design and individuality? Nowadays, the only way to inject some taste and style into a smartphone is adding an accessory – like a phone cover or sock.



Old skool - Nokia 3200  (Left) and Nokia 3310 (Right)

Not surprisingly, when more than one product looks and feels similar, a legal dispute is almost always inevitability. In April 2011, Apple sued Samsung for an alleged infringement of their design patent, claiming Samsung had “savishly” copied its product design. At the moment, the legal battle between Apple and Samsung lies mainly with patents for operating software. Samsung are currently attempting to counter sue Apple concerning an alleged patent infringement for operating systems within both phones. The case is to be heard in Australia next month.

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I came acrosss this funny advert while searching for images of old phones.


"No larger than a cordless phone" "Fits in your briefcase"

              

Ice Prince ft. Brymo 'Oleku'

<3 Afrobeat 

Happy Pancake Day!...or should I say 'Shrove Tuesday'?

Flippin' pancakes!

Let’s face it, pancakes don’t really need their own day or the PR - everyone loves pancakes. So why does a whole day need to be devoted towards making and eating pancakes?

The answer lies with the Catholic season of Lent. Pancake Day, also known as Shrove Tuesday, is the day preceding Ash Wednesday. Shrove Tuesday is the last day before Lent, when Catholics observe forty days of prayer and fasting while remembering when Jesus spent forty days and forty nights in the desert before embarking on His public ministry. For many Catholics, this means giving up something precious or a luxury which they enjoy eating, usually something like chocolate, chips, sweets or meat.

Okay, so how does Pancake Day fit into all this? Well, the day before Lent started, it was customary for most people to use up all the ‘luxury’ items in their house (eggs, milk, flour and sugar). It just so happened that pancakes was what they cooked, hence Pancake Day.

Ouch!

A brawl erupted between British boxers Dereck Chisora and David Haye over the weekend

Sting 'Englishman In New York'

Really digging this song right now. Got it on repeat.