Charles on… anything that comes along

OK, so this will be a dynamic result, but the Google News Search: desuetude reveals four hits right now. Seems like a lot, even if they stretch back two weeks. (Perhaps a daily “desuetude count” for the sidebar?)

Odd that three of them should be from the Guardian. (If you’re wondering what on earth I’m on about, here’s the definition.

And I have to say I’m very excited about the possibility that I could “Get the latest news on desuetude with Google News Alerts.” What - like that it hadn’t fallen into itself?

These posts might be related (the database thinks..):
• Twitter is down. Gmail isn't working. At this rate.. (18 November 2008; score: 24.68%)
• Two links just to prove that technology isn't good or bad... (11 July 2005; score: 23.72%)
• Bluetooth and Bluewater: spam that isn't, apparently (5 November 2004; score: 23.25%)

A sub[-editor] asked me this question just now.

“Well,” I began. “The Blackberry…”
What? Doesn’t make phone calls? Yes it does. Can do email and browse the web? A smartphone can too.

I stopped talking. Fortunately, he only wanted to know what the difference in appearance was. Anyway, I figured out that the difference is that the Blackberry has a dedicated keyboard on the front.
At least I think that’s the difference, if there really is one at all. Anyone from Blackberry care to comment?

These posts might be related (the database thinks..):
• Netimperative: what's wrong with government telling us about technology (12 February 2005; score: 69.29%)
• Are journalists really a major source of 'stop energy' (as Rob Scoble seems to imply)? (26 October 2004; score: 33.92%)
• Ian Hobson succumbs to the lure of "and what's more..." (28 July 2005; score: 33.31%)

OK, I’d been seeing the links all over the place, but it’s only when you take the trip over and read The Apple Product Cycle that you begin to laugh. And laugh. Marvellous piece of satire about what happens whenever Apple even farts in a gadget-y way. I particularly liked, umm, all of it; but let’s not go without including

“Taken completely by surprise at the success of Apple’s new gadget, executives from Dell or Sony or Microsoft appear on CNBC and offer vague suggestions that they are beginning development of a new product to compete with Apple. In its next issue, PC Week magazine publishes an article declaring that Apple’s dominance of the [insert gadget here] space is in jeopardy.
“Weeks before most users are able to hold Apple’s new gadget in their hands, “What features would you like in the next version?” discussions take place on Mac mailing lists. Mac-heads cook up droves of far-fetched, often bizarre ideas. A cursory reading makes it readily apparent why Apple executives pay no attention to their fanatical customers.” [Yup, certainly seen the latter occur all the time - CA.]

And one shouldn’t ignore the author’s self-description:
The author has been a Mac user since 1984… He currently uses a Dual 2.0GHz PowerMac G5 and a 12″ PowerBook G4. In spite of his loyalty to the platform, he finds most “Mac people” to be tiresome and annoying. He is pretty sure that if he had to attend WWDC or Macworld, he would wind up slapping the shit out of a bunch of people.

These posts might be related (the database thinks..):
• Cash machine fraudsters use convincing "add-on" on ATMs (30 October 2004; score: 39.45%)
• New job, and stuff you realise (30 November 2005; score: 37.59%)
• EyeTV for DTT (DVB-T): ElGato does it well, again (27 August 2005; score: 35.08%)