05 Jan '07 Predictions

macworld

Unless you live on the Moon – actually, I’m bet even they know, better make it ex-planet Pluto – you’ll know it’s the Macworld Expo in San Fransico next week. As is required by any blogger who occasionally writes about Apple things here’s my predictions for what we’re going to see in the keynote on Tuesday:

  • iLife ‘07 and iWork ‘07: After a few consecutive years of iLife/iWork updates at Macworld it would be more surprising if we didn’t get new versions next week. I don’t however, think they’re going to be the most interesting updates ever; Charts/Numbers is a bit of a given for iWork, but like Pages it’ll be good but not compelling enough to make people switch from Microsoft Office.

    In iLife, iWeb will almost certainly get the most attention – it needs it. More themes, less reliance on .mac, cleaner markup and urls are all desperately needed. I’m interested in seeing if they come up for a decent solution for video cataloguing/storing – both iPhoto and iTunes do it, but neither do it too well. Also, expect the whole suit to get the same look as iTunes 7

  • Mac OS X 10.5: I’m sure that 10.5 will be coming out sometime in the spring (March 24th maybe – 6 years to the day after 10.0) but that doesn’t mean we won’t get to see it. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see a whole new interface look, but it’s by no means a given. This is an incredibly important release for Apple, however, as it goes head to head with Vista so expect the “top secret” features to be quite impressive.

  • iTV: First things first, it’ll get a new name – they can’t use iTV for obvious reasons for any UK-based reader. iPod TV? Airport TV? Whatever they go for it could well be shipping “Today”, but that depends on what they were waiting on (obviously something otherwise they would have released it when they announced it). This something is probably 802.11N, a new wireless standard, which would also mean new Airport base stations and cards.

  • iPod Phone: It certainly won’t be called an iPhone, but I’m sure it exists – and I think that judging by the hype Apple’s “trying to stir up”:http://www.apple.com

    we could well see it soon. I’m thinking something that is essentially an iPod Nano, with built in phone capability; I can’t figure out how they’re going to put a keypad on it without spoiling the looks but I’m sure they’ll think of something. It won’t be a smart phone, or have a huge range of features – it wouldn’t surprise me if it doesn’t have a camera – but it will have seamless Mac and iChat integration.

  • Something Else: When was the last time Apple did a keynote without something completely unexpected? 8 Processor Mac Pros are a possibility, as are new iSight-intergrated displays but I’m thinking something completly unexpected. Not a new iPod though, or an Apple tablet.

I could, of course, be completely wrong.

That’s all part of the fun, though.

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04 Jan '07 Catch Up

jackpenate

Catch up time!

Over the past month or so at work we’ve launched a couple of nifty little sites that I’d like to share with you. As I now have some help for the first time I’m not actually responsible for the html/css/php, but the designs are mine so I’m taking full credit (only joking Simon if you’re reading!).

First up is a site promoting the new Black Strobe album, “A Remix Selection”:

remixblackstrobe.com

The main premise of the site is that we’re giving away the master components (vocals, bass etc) of the lead single “Shining Bright Star” for people to remix, which they can then upload onto the site for people to listen to and rate. Black Strobe have a long history of remixing – this album is an album of remixes of people like Bloc Party and The Rapture, so this all ties in quite nicely.

Any budding DJs or remixes out there would be well advised to check it out – it’s looking like the highest rated remix may well end up as a b-side on a single from the forthcoming Black Strobe album (which is their first album of their own material, not remixes, and is sounding very impressive).

Next up is a site for Jack Pe–ate, whose shoes you can see above:

jackpenate.com

I really like the way this site turned out, but that’s mostly due to the fun that we did with his debut single “Second, Minute Or Hour”. The single was a 7” limited to 1000 copies, and each copy had a unique polaroid photo attached to the cover. All 1000 polaroids are on the site, and we encouraging people to “claim” their copy by sending in a photo of them with their record. There’s no prize or anything – it’s just a bit of fun to try and connect with the already strong fanbase Jack has.

He’s worth keeping an eye on, is Jack – he’s great live and has already got some cracking songs under his belt. Certainly one to watch in 2007.

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03 Jan '07 As Seen On TV

tv

Over the Christmas holiday one of the things I found time to squeeze in was a quick go on my brother’s Nintendo Wii. It’s a truly amazing bit of kit – when Mario Galaxy comes out I think I’ll cave in and get one; it really is amazing how much more intuitive the controller is compared to traditional input devices are – never mind game controllers but mice and keyboards as well.

But that’s not the important thing.

The Wii – like the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3 – is designed to be always connected to the internet. For a start this instantly enables another rival platform to iTunes for video delivery – Nintendo already have a online integrated store and it would be be easy for them to sell video content (although it would have to be streaming, as the Wii has no HD). A synergy with someone like Cartoon Network or Disney could work really well here; playing to Nintendo’s younger market – which they have sewn up.

That’s still not the important thing.

What’s most important is the free demo of Opera that they’ve released for download over Christmas.

Actually, scratch that.

The most important thing is that Opera and Nintendo have finally managed to create a browser that actually works on a TV. Due to the Wii remote, browsing around pages is easy – just point and click – and entering address’ is surprising easy using the onscreen keyboard. Not only does it work, but it works well – well enough that I can see people actually want to use it.

Which changes the whole game.

YouTube, for example, already works quite nicely on the Wii but it could be so much better with a UI optimised for TV resolution – to bump up the font sizes, so it’s readable across the room, and try and get rid of scrolling; that kind of thing. And of course, the same is true of pretty much every web site – they all “work” on the Wii, but they could work much better. Not only that, but the Playstation 3 comes with a browser built in.

If you’re designing and developing websites – especially media rich ones – and you want to be ahead of the curve you better start thinking about the SofaWeb now, before it’s too late.

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02 Jan '07 And it rained all night

rain

Rain is fascinating.

We’re all so used to it, but that doesn’t make it any less interesting.

Think about it; by some amazing natural coincidence little invisible bits of water float around in the air until they bump into other little invisible bits of water and get big enough then fall from the sky.

Just think for a minute what it would be like for something different to rain; earth or flowers or small bits of metal instead of water.

Stop.

Think.

Hope you all had a good christmas break, and a very merry new year. Your regularly scheduled programming will return tomorrow.

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21 Dec '06 Thom Yorke - The Eraser

theeraser

So, we’ve finally got to the end of my list of the best albums of 2006 – so far we’ve had:

20) Peaches – Impeach my bush
19) Ratatat – Classics
18) The Black Keys – Magic Potion
17) Mstrkrft – The looks
16) The Flaming Lips – At war with the mystics
15) Beck – The Information
14) Placebo – Meds
13) Arctic Monkeys – Whatever people say I am, that’s what I’m not
12) The Raconteurs – Broken Boy Soldiers
11) be your own PET – be your own PET
10) Metric – Live It Out
9) The Gossip – Standing in the way of control
8) The Knife – Silent Shout
7) Tapes ‘n Tapes – The Loon
6) Giant Drag – Hearts and Unicorns
5) Beirut – Gulag Orkestar
4) C.S.S. – Cansei De Ser Sexy
3) TV On the Radio – Return to Cookie Mountain
2) The Rapture – Pieces of the people we love

At number 1 is Thom Yorke’s debut solo album, The Eraser.

As soon as I first heard about this album I was intrigued – what was it going to sound like? Were we’re going to get an album of heavy techno? Or a Radiohead album with a different name on the cover? Or just Thom and a piano?

Luckily for us we got something even better.

Free from the inevitable constraints of being in one of the most well known bands on the planet Yorke gives us the album you can tell he’s always wanted to make. Stripped back from the layered Radiohead sound comes an album of beautiful songs, each accompanied by unexpectedly perfect music. It’s almost completely removed from the indie-guitar past of his previous works, and it’s all the more interesting for it, with a simple electronic slant weaving it’s way throughout.

Of course, we haven’t even talked about the lyrics yet.

Thom Yorke may well be one of the most accomplished lyricists alive today, and he’s on fine form on this record. Often accused of being depressing I find the lyrics far from that; they’re honest, and honesty doesn’t necessarily mean happy but I would rather take the truth over some sugar-coated lies any day.

When looking at the tracks it’s almost impossible to pick a favourite – they’re simply all too good. The opening track, “The Eraser”, starts of the album perfectly with a repetitive, pounding sampled piano refrain that builds into a haunting, beautiful climax. Other highlights include “And It Rained All Night”, which is probably the most “Radiohead” of all the songs on the album, and the singles “Analyse” and “Harrowdown Hill”:

Trying to pick tracks of this album as favourites does it a disservice however – every single track is special.

I’ve been (incredibly) fortunate to see Thom perform one of these songs live this year, and it’s amazing to see how he can take the songs from this album – which are predominantly electronic – and make them work with just him and a piano or guitar. Not only does he make them “work” though, he makes them work beautifully; transforming the songs into something completely different, completely stunning in their own way.

Nothing else came close for me this year.

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20 Dec '06 The Rapture - Pieces of the people we love

rapture

Number 2 in my list of the best albums of 2006 is The Rapture’s latest record, Pieces of the people we love.

This record is perfect.

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19 Dec '06 TV On The Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain

tvontheradio

And now to start the top 3 of my list of the best albums of 2006 – just missing out from the top 2 spots is TV On The Radio’s second album, Return To Cookie Mountain.

There’s just something about this album – it’s breath taking; awesome in the original meaning of the word. It’s the best album of this year – the two ahead of it are there simply because they fit my music taste closer.

The thundering drum beats. The layered vocals. The feedbacked guitars.

All are simply stunning.

Wolf Like Me is probably the most accessible songs of the album, and it’s a great song. Not as in “yeah, that’s great”; as in “The Great”; as in the best anyone could ever hope for from a piece of music:

I almost don’t know what more to say about TV On The Radio; they’re too good, almost. Live, they are – of course – amazing; they have a huge amount of power behind them, which you get on the record, but is just staggering in person.

Just go get the record.

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18 Dec '06 Cansei De Ser Sexy

css

Not far to go now! At number 4 in my list of the best albums of 2006 is Cansei De Ser Sexy’s eponymous debut album.

Pop. Fun. That’s what this album is all about quite frankly – it’s a good old fashioned party album. Pretty much every song on the album is an indie-pop classic; coupling electro enthused indie with bouncy, upbeat lyrics. Lovefoxxx – the lead singer – is just a pure bundle of energy; you couldn’t ask for a better vocalist.

The song you will have heard by them – Let’s make love and listen to death from above – apart from name-checking one of last years best bands is definitely one of the tracks of this year:

Live, C.S.S. are simply stunning. Even though they seem to have almost continual gear trouble they have so much stage presence that they could probably still be excellent through a power cut. They were certainly one of the highlights of 2006.

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16 Dec '06 Beirut - Gulag Orkestar

beirut

And now for something completely different

In at number 5 in my list of the best albums of 2006 is Beirut’s debut album, Gulag Orkestar.

This is really somewhat of a departure for me, musically; every once in a while, though, an album comes along that is in a completely different style to what you normally listen to but thanks to it’s sheer brilliance wins you over all the same. The Beirut album is one such album.

The album manages to conjure up such vivid imagery while you listen to it – perfectly capturing both the poverty and isolation but also the romance of Eastern Europe. Zach Condon – who for all intents and purposes is Beriut – adds vocals that are hugely powerful, haunting and moving that are a stark contrast to the big brass and slightly shambolic instrumental accompaniment; it all works perfectly.

Then, when you think it couldn’t get any better, a slight electronic edge gets thrown in – completely different to everything else you’re hearing, but it pushes the music along to somewhere even better.

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14 Dec '06 Ill (again)

ill2

I seem to have caught another cold.

Which is nice.

Maybe I need to chill out a bit; de-stress; stop doing quite so much.

That’s not really going to happen, though.

Oh well.

Hopefully I’ll be more coherent tomorrow.

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