20 Jun

Singapore startups

It never ceases to amaze me the number of new and exciting startups appearing in Singapore week after week. These range from both mobile apps through to PC/MAC based application. Sometime last year I read about a mobile app called “Buuuk” which was a user contributed restaurant locating and review app for the iPhone. This started out as hobby project and has become one of the most popular app for the discerning diner.

As you may have read on other posts I also made an investment in a company called GotoCamera who began in Singapore through a spin-out of a technology group within M1. Providing cloud based home web-cam access.

Take this one step further there is significant focus and investment from the Singapore government through the iDA agency. Unlike many countries where sponsored programs require significant progress to have been made already the programs available via iDA provide funding from true proof of concept .

Posted in Technology | View Comments
19 Jun

Not every public cloud is good!!

Sunday afternoon and browsing the web and continue to notice the impact that the Puyehue volcano, high in the Andes in southern Chile, is having on air traffic around the world. In every sense of the definition this is really a public cloud. Not the hi-tech public clouds that we are all reading about today but a cloud that is impacting the public more than technology can. In fact, there is little technology can do to overcome the issues created by Puyehue Volcano.

Chilean ash cloud hindering air traffic

 

 

Posted in Travel | View Comments
18 Jun

French Summer Holiday

As July approaches it always makes me think about how can we get the family back to France for the summer. Some of the best times we have spent as a family have been in the Charente country side enjoying fresh product, great wine and perfect weather day after day.

For some reason lately it seems to be getting harder and harder to find time and opportunity to set aside at least two weeks and just relax.

Waking up each morning to fields of sunflowers, rows and rows of green vines and sound of the village church bell is about as close to paradise as I can imagine.

The only fly in the ointment is having to deal with local planning authorities who dont seem to understand time at all. Maybe thats the charm of the place and I should just accept it.

Anyway, in this picture from a few years back you can see the pool under construction. We are hoping this year to get approval to finish another Gite and also knock down some of the older barns & building that we will never renovate.

Posted in France | View Comments
13 Jun

When the underdog (bull) wins

Another night of sifting through old photo’s and trying to cut down the 24,000+ photo’s I have to something more manageable.

I know that bullfighting is cruel, inhumane and many other things but I still had to say i had personally experienced it once and could then comment on this with some level of personally experience.

During the San Fermin festival in Spain held during July each year we somehow just managed to walk into the middle of a bullfight mid morning. I had expected to be stopped however i think everyone was too busy watching the fight to worry about some tourists.

We all know how these events end and therefore when i was able to capture the above photo at least i could say i watched the bull win one battle but probably not the war.

Posted in Sports, Travel | View Comments
10 Jun

Going beyond the call of duty

Sorting through my photo’s this evening i came across this interesting shot.

I still find amazing how far people go in the name of god. I reckon this is well beyond the call of duty and I still wonder how it is that any god (and i know there are many) could see  pleasure in watching devotees pain themselves. Thaipusam is an annual festival and ritual held the world over and most years I try to make it down to Singapore to take some interesting photo’s. Usually early morning (3am) yields the most interesting (painful) times.

Maybe it’s just that i am lacking faith or conviction but it will be many years before you find me taking on this level of commitment to anything.

Im planning next year to spend a day with one of the participants and capture the whole ritual from beginning to end.

Posted in Singapore, Travel | View Comments
02 Jun

Time to plan for the snow

It only seems like last week that it was snow season and today i received an email from Niseko tempting me to book up for the next season. I was fortunate enough last season to hit the slopes in Japan (Niseko, Kagura), Kashmir (Gulmarg) and the US (Tahoe). Probably by best season ever and honestly I cant wait for next season to get here.

Im still searching for that next undiscovered location and reckon it may be hiding somewhere in South America.

Posted in Sports, Travel | View Comments
15 May

Apple Computing – 27 years on

Its funny how many people think Apple began as a company with the iPods some ten years back. I was recently digitizing much of my personal life including old photographs and movies and came across a book i co-authored in 1984 – Game for Your Apple IIe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can remember locking myself away for a few weeks to try and come up with some ideas on simple yet challenging games that could be developed in Apple Basic.

Take a look at some of the code below….it makes be laugh both at the structure and also at how simple it seems compared to todays methods.

 

 

 

Posted in Uncategorized | View Comments
01 May

New website finally!!!

Its only taken 2 years and finally there is an update to my website. In this world of social networking and virtual presence it seems that unless you have your own domain and site you are just not keeping up with the Jones’.

What’s the purpose of having such a website….well actually i’m still not sure. My initial ideas were that it would be a place to write about interesting things i saw and consolidate my online activities. Linking social media content like twitter, facebook, linkedin etc in one single portal.

I read somewhere recently that when people want to know something about you they don’t read your resume or CV anymore rather google you and see what comes up.

Apart from that i wanted a place to share my hobbies such as photography and talk about new and interesting projects and ideas that I am involved with.

So where do you think the inspiration will come from…..well that’s real simple.

 

Posted in General | View Comments

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