It’s been a long few hours around the world as people everywhere attempt to sign into MobileMe, sign up for their new iPhones or getting their current iPhones and iPods updated to the latest firmware… and I’m stuck there with them.

Thankfully, I’m not waiting in line anywhere as I don’t have the money to update to an iPhone.  I’m one of those iPod Touch owners who have already got and PURCHASED applications for their iPod and each time I click ‘Update’ I can’t get the current firmware.

As you can see, I’ve been having problems getting my firmware updated all day.

The past twenty four hours have been hell for Apple as their MobileMe service was released–now operating in both mac and windows–the Apple servers were bombarded with requests, and hours wasted for people trying to use the service for their work around the world.

It’s been worse for the people who have the money to afford iPhone 3Gs as registration servers around the world have been broken down until 3.35pm UTC, causing people the frustration of having to sort it out at home later on.

As someone thinking of making a new Apple purchase for his birthday, I’m having a little bit of a problem with the idea that they’re such good people to go to.  The idea of Apple as a brilliant company who cannot do wrong has been seriously broken the past two days as mostly all of their services have been crushed to rubble.  That’s sad… because I love them so very much.

The sad thing is that I know one thing about Apple fanatics, just like I–are very forgiving.  While it will be in the news all next week, we’ll forget about the fiasco.  Not many people realise there were bad problems of people trying to activate their original iPhones last year.

After all the things that happened today, I’m happy that I’m no longer thinking of getting an iPhone 3G.  When MacWorld came along I was calculating costs and thoughts on purchasing, how much I’d have to sell and work in order to afford the phone and contract.  However, I see no problem when the new firmware finally becomes available for the original iPhone to purchase a second-hand model for use with a current (and cheaper) contract that I have.

I just hope that Apple remember this fiasco, and the owners of these new products don’t take it lightly.  It’s their fault, and although we like them so very much, you can still tell them off every once in a while…

Hi honorable readers, you look nice today! Cup of tea?

Ok, I’m flattering you awesome guys for one reason. I need your help. I’ve been in a downer the past few weeks and lost my blogging groove. That’s where you lot come in, to tell me what the hell you want!

Simply fill out the short survey at the bottom of this post and in seconds I’ll be back on my feet. I have some ideas, but there’s a few new things I want to try that need your say-so before I get them going.

Take the Survey

Thanks!  You lot are fantastic!

First ever woosy poem ever which came out by complete accident.  I was actually writing one of those dear… letters that I do once in a while [1] [2] [3] but after finishing it I noticed I was ryming, changed it a little, and came up with this.

And here was me thinking that Higher English wasn’t worth a thing…

This week I talk a little drunkenly about the ideas of consumerism in our daily lives.  Short, sweet and hardly edited.

Subscribe via iTunes

 

 Fused Reality Podcast 004 [16:35m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (53)

If you thought that I, geek extraordinaire, would miss the WWDC you’d be greatly mistaken. I even fine tuned my computer setup for extreme visibility - IRC chats detailing the show and chats about it’s products were on one screen, social media sites on another and on my laptop stood Leo Laporte getting a live feed of the conference and discussing it on TWiT Live.

What can I say, I love Apple.

Before the conference I was thinking that I wouldn’t get an iPhone. My current phone works well, the only downside is the music player lacks any real help.  That’s why I have an iPod Touch to keep me going… and I’ve loved it.

But when I got the text message through detailing the iPhone’s 8GB price through twitter I went speechless. £99! My iPod cost more than that!  That’s when I thought… it’s time to upgrade.

While £99 is a extremely cheap price for anything as high quality as Apple tech, I see what they’re doing. Apple does get a lot of money from the contracts of the iPhone and a contract of £35 a month is fairly steep when somebody like myself spends only £3.63 a month on 600 minutes and 500 texts (cashback baby! [so technically I'm paying £30... what of it?])

Despite having no real connection to the Reality Distortion Field, I began making calculations… Ok.. o2 have a set contract of 18 months for £35 per month.. that’s… £630!  For the same deal (but without internet) I have to only pay £65!  It’s a shocking difference for a student life and made me consider how much owning another piece of Apple tech is really worth it and would a job over the summer fuel my habit.

However, o2 have been extremely smart in my opinion by offering a pay-as-you-go offering of the iPhone (but no pricing as of yet). Since I am already part of the great o2 network–I could still get my iPhone and yet have the good deals offered by e2save.com (The web browsing bolt on costs £7.50 a month - so I hope it’s still worth it).

Something tells me that on July 11 the iPhone (either the contract or pay-as-you-go version) is going to be extremely hard to come by in the UK.  However, since my birthday is only 11 days afterwards I have to tell my family that if they all came together to buy this for me… I’d love ‘em. [hint hint]

Most people could have thought I’ve been dead for the past two weeks. While most of people could have accounted this to a cold, it was worse than that.  It was a mix of procrastination, relaxation and a busy schedule.

I know. Shocker.

While the next few weeks are completely unknown - I could be in a job, abroad, whatever–it looks like my idea of having my holiday as a true vacation isn’t going to happen (It is a 3 month vacation anywho…). I’m prepping for anything and it looks like I’m not going to be bored. I’ll be checking the field and I’ll hopefully have more to talk about as things go on.

It’s not like me to actually talk about my life on this blog, but until I’ve recovered from the past two weeks I’ll recap some of the awesome stuff I’ve been doing when I haven’t been sleeping.

Later.

Two weeks out and trying to get back into the habit. This week was a recap of some of the ideas faced, and a few updates to the blog post Hope I Cope with my Dyslexia.

Download the mp3 | Subscribe via iTunes.

 

 Standard Podcast [20:46m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (40)

In this episode I talk about two different things faced by photographers in this day and age - the never-ending decision between film and digital and how the law causes confrontation between photographers and civillians.

Download the mp3 | Subscribe via iTunes.

With the second episode of the Fused Reality Podcast coming out tomorrow I thought I’d help some people figure out why I want to do it and where I’m going to take it.  So, here’s some questions that were asked during my last live stream…

You’ve failed at keeping a podcast twice, why are you trying a third time?

Well they say that the third time is a charm–but the real fact is that previously the podcast wasn’t exactly fixed or gave me the satisfaction I desired (mainly due to pressure from a third party).  I stared podcasting when I was fifteen and I wasn’t suited back then to properly do it.  Hopefully with almost 4 years extra experience with podcasts and social media I’ll be much better.

What’s it about?

I was interested in one of my topics in my first podcast in which I talked about how smoking had affected me (I think it’s still lying around somewhere on the internet).  Within friends it drew some controversy and discussion and when the urge to podcast came back to me recently I was reminded by a friend of this episode and decided that it would be a good idea to talk about the issues that effect me again.

So is this podcast just going to be another form of self-obsessed ranting?

Nope.  Sure, I’m going to talking about some of the issues that relate to me–but the description entails that I talk about others too.  There’s loads of people with issues that I have no idea about who I’d love to interview and find out more about it  There’s artist, designers, social media evangelists, writers and loads of others  I’d love to interview and will pretty soon.

Wow. Sounds like you’ve got something coming together. Who’s coming on the show?

Well, I haven’t e-mailed anyone regarding being on the show but I will be doing so pretty soon. If it sounds like you want to come on the show and you don’t mind talking about the issues that effect you or your profession (that’s what it’s kind of about) then I’d love to have you on the show.  Just leave a comment here or email me at craig[at]fusedrealitystudios.com.

What do I need to be on your show?

Three things - issues to talk about, Skype and some free time.  It’d also be nice if you had a voice to use and a microphone.

Your Sound Sucks!

Yes, it does.  I’m moving back to Edinburgh on Wednesday and I’m happy to say that my better quality audio equipment is sitting there and waiting to be used.  Right now I’m just using a terrible Phillips Skype phone and can’t wait till I can get back to some real microphones.

I listened to your show and I want to leave some feedback.

Good or bad, I’d love to hear from you.  You can contact me in the blog comments, e-mail or record an audio comment so it will be on the next show.  One thing I really like is regular feedback.

You talked about a live stream earlier. What’s that?

I experimented recording episode two of the podcast with a live audience and found it to be pretty fun but also allowed me to have live correspondence (which is pretty hard to get any other means) and an ability for questions to be answered before the show is released.

I’ll be recording each Monday on BlogTV [http://www.blogtv.com/People/fusedreality] at 5.30PM Eastern (10.30PM BST) and thanks to my technical prowess you’ll be able to see both my webcam and recording processes (people liked that last time).

I don’t want to wait a week!

Well, episode two of the podcast is already recorded and will be available tomorrow afternoon. Each episode will be available on the Tuesday (the day after the live show) as it takes time to edit out mistakes often caused by stutters or long pauses while staring at the chat room.

To say I have read many books would be a very large overstatement. Unfortunately, being aware of my upbringing reminds me of how little I wasfascinated by the printed page. Needless to say, I was a tv junkie at a young age.

The odd thing about this realisation is that, as I’m entering my adulthood, is that I feel bad about abandoning this medium. Sure, I love print and while I would never pick up a newspaper unless there was literally nothing to read and no openwifi connection, I’d at least give it a go. The odd thing about my aversion to the printed page is that I love libraries. Now, while I do consider them a large waste of space and an extremely high fire risk–the knowledge theyposess is somewhat astronomical.

I once talked about how I would love the idea of a cheap eBook reader, and while I have been enjoying reading some of Cory Doctorow’s books on my iTouch, the printed page still holds some sort of essence that has yet to be transferred to the electronic page. Maybe it has, but I can’t afford those expensive readers that Sony and Amazon release.

While I am dyslexic, I was somewhat depressed over my English scores. I did well in practice but a D in the final exam wasn’t good (however, it did get appealed to a B…) and as my time came to an end at high school I really started to enjoy the subject.

I look back at some of the authors I admire and wonder how they do it. Then I start watching vlogbrothers and one of them, John Green, is an award winning teenage author. He’s been writing since a young age and the idea that I want to create books at this old age of eighteen may be a little much for this brain to handle. Sometimes I try my best in every subject. Shouldn’t I just settle for one?

Well, ever since I was young I’ve tried to excel myself in almost every subject. I started with my education, which was somewhat difficult. Sport didn’t work out and I found myself enjoying other more technical things. I guess I’m like the Borg, I always want to become ‘perfect’ and become great at everything. While it provides me with some respect as I can create something good very quickly–it means I’m no master of one particular subject. My bio goes… “Student, amateur photographer, web designer & developer,videographer , blogger, techie, gamer and a few other things” As you can see, I’m rather varied. But unlike the Borg, I don’t have any implants in my body - which is a plus.

I guess that’s one of the reasons why I want to spread my wings yet again into writing and have already enrolled in this years’ National Novel Writing Month in November–where I have to write a 50,000 word short novel during the month. It’ll be hard but at the end I think it will be utterly rewarding. Not only will it make my writing as a novel writer better (I’ve always had ideas but never felt I could keep my attention on one large novel) but also hopefully help make my writing a blogger much more interesting to read.

The novel is a grand method of sharing yourself and sharing your ideas that have been clogged up in your head for years at a time. But this is not the only reason I want to write and read more. There are other reasons, such as the fact I had three whole years in which I didn’t have a stable Englishcurriculum . But none of that matters, I just want to get better at writing and through this make myself better as a whole. So, I hope I won’t be the only one going down thisroller-coaster.