Intelligence & Integrity

I’ve never really been into conspiracy theories, apart for entertainment reasons, but recently and for me more or less out of the blue the other day, Rogier Brussee mumbled something about Google being the CIA (or FBI for all that matters). Expressions like that make me cynical but also make me question why I am cynical about those ideas. Could it be true? Do you think it is like that? And if Google would be the digitized version of the all mighty watchdog of the US, than who would be the (moral) owners of Facebook, delicious, Foursquare, you name any social media originating from the US? If it really is the security forces of our modern western society, than let us ask what the role of social media in our society actually is.

Tagged with: alexander bard, android, cia, fbi, flickr, julian assange, the next web, facebook, iphone, wikileaks,

“Agorastis and Iphoné”

It is not for mortals to question the decisions of the Gods. Mortals can only sacrifice, plead and hope the rulers of the world will answer their prayer. And even then the poor souls can only assume that the favor is really given and not just a fluke of circumstances.

Tagged with: iphone, apple,

I want my mobile!

Everybody who knows me knows I’ve always been (mis)using my mobile phone a lot. It all started with a Nokia 3310, which I used for texting my footballfriends and composing ringtones. A couple years later I spent a lot of money on a Samsung with Vodafone Live! and today I’m cherishing an iPhone. This last phone makes it even hard NOT to use it: I find myself constantly browsing, mailing and playing games with it. While I’m working on my desktop it has even become a second screen for my email and/or twitterupdates.

Tagged with: beered, applications, iphone, mobile,

How will I get my iFix?

I know that it's kind of predictable to write something about the iPad, but those who know me, know that I am hooked on all new Apple gadgets. iPad is Apple's newest gadget, a must-have for an addict such as myself. It is a multi touch tablet apparatus that's used for... well, we'll get back to that later. There's only one problem with it, but because the problem is related to it's usage, I'll get into that later as well. First a brief history how I became addicted to Apple.

Tagged with: ipod, ipad, apple, iphone,

A personal history of gadgets

In 1966, when I was about 6 years old, I was a gadget myself. We had a black and white television and it had just three channels. Netherlands 1 and 2 and we could receive Belgium 1. Every time my father or an older member of the family wanted to change the channel, they asked me to change it for them. And I, thinking that they let me do that because I was so good at it, proudly walked up the television and changed the channel for them. My parents, brothers and sisters (all 10 of them) had a remote control ‘avant la lettre’.

Tagged with: gadgets, iphone, mobile,

The tempations of becoming a pirate

Sometimes big companies force people into illegal activities. From a personal perspective I can completely justify why I am tempted to modify my Xbox 360, jailbreak my iPhone and download illegal navigation software and content. It is not that I have reached the stage where I cannot pay for these digital products. On the contrary, it even feels good to pay for them. However I am constantly tempted to pursue the pirate life.

Tagged with: piracy, microsoft, xbox, iphone, route 66,