So I’ve been on the Live Mesh™ beta for a while now, and I just thought I’d give those of you who haven’t had the chance to use it a little run down. I would post screen shots, but I’d probably get taken to court; even though I’d be publicising their product, but there we go.

On first impressions I was very impressed, and I have found boundless uses for the project, and can see it’s potential, however I had some quibbles with the project before I had even begun. When I tried to install the product, it said that I couldn’t install it if I had UAC (User account control) turned off; what madness is this?! As with many of you who probably read this, I’m guessing you have a pretty good knowledge of a computer, and don’t need the annoying, screen locking, screen hang inducing alerts telling you what to do and what not to do.

A quick search on the net lead me to find out that you can actually enable UAC and have it so it doesn’t show any pop-ups! This feature was apparently only available on business versions of vista ( I have home premium ) but we soon got round that.

Once I had actually managed to get on, I soon logged onto the Mesh web site, and low and behold I actually managed to control my desktop from the Internet browser within seconds, the only part I actually had to do was wait for the screen to load! Now in true Microsoft fashion nothing but IE will run this, I’m hoping this will soon change.

Pros & Cons:

It’s a really nice day. This is what i’m talking about :]

Over my time I’ve tried them all, but I think that we have found one, that with minor tweaks, can shake the ages. I’ll list them in the order I joined them, pros and cons discussed.

Pownce

I joined pownce about, oh, I don’t know, about a year ago now when I was invited to the beta by Jase (Thank you by the way) and was nothing but impressed. I couldn’t help but feel something was missing from Pownce, though however, I soon came to realise that performace was a real problem on Pownce - I would often get time out problems and the so on and so forth. I soldiered on, until I started to use Twitter.

Twitter

I joined Twitter very soon after Pownce, although at the time for some reason didn’t see it fit for purpose, and stuck with Pownce. I soon saw this was completely unfounded and Twitter was the supreme candidate. I soon started to take advantage of the SMS function of Twitter, and soon became a junkie, pretty much updating via SMS whenever I could. For me Twitter lacked nothing, it was robust, had all the features I wanted for updating, and most of all, was completely mobile. I loved it. Until Plurk came along…

Plurk

Plurk came along and changed everything. I was sure that Twitter was the one for me, but I have recently, and have only been on Plurk for the last few days, become completely addicted to “Plurking”. The timeline feature, although novel at first, really helps with the arrangement of your contacts “Plurks”, and is easy to browse! I have to say, this has got something that Twitter hasn’t, although I wish it had a better Mobile interface, and the functionality for SMS. I’m sure that if Plurk had SMS, I’d switch for good, but until then, I shall not be dashing from Twitter too quickly. I hope Twitter steps up to the plate.

Add me on:

Pownce | Twitter | Plurk

I am sick and tired of the monstrosity that is “Big Brother”. Many of you will know what the show entails; although I’m sure that my opinion on the show is not completely shared amongst the country.

I find it completely perplexing; what makes the entire country go crazy for this show? Is it the fact they can see people from the outside in? They can watch the conflict, nose into peoples lives and, scarily, know everything about another person they, ironically, don’t know.

I worry… I’ll probably add to these blogs, so I’ll give them a category of their own.

Hope you’re all good.

I’m worried.

I see a four month stretch ahead with little or no physical contact with any of my university friends… Although this year at university wasn’t challenging, nor can I say that I really enjoyed it, certain people on my course have made this year absolutely fantastic, to no end, and I would have certainly, certainly had of left without them being there.

To that end I would like to thank the following: (Alphabetical Order)

Alex Geeves
Elizabeth Harmon
Andrew Merrell
Andy Moloney

and of course we could never forget the flat-mates, who also [in their own ways] have been awesome.

So the four month long stint of money earning begins, I’m pretty sure it will be fun, but I’ve just got to get through it.

I’ve decided over the summer to drive around the country as much as I can to take as many photos as I can to satisfy my hunger for photography. I love it ♥.

So, exams are now finished, and I’m pretty much free for the summer, I just have to complete the next week simulating a business (which we’re going to absolutely do fantastic at) and then I’m up, up and away for the summer. Love it.

Not long left, exams are out, and the summer is only looking up. September/October should be good too - Looking forward to learn into the flat!

Hope everyone else’s exams will go well, the best of luck!

Today, naming no names as I have no control over who reads this blog, I lost a lot of faith in a few of my peers and in the human race in general. Whilst lazily lounging at the beach, a young girl no older than me was harmlessly playing Frisbee; I worry about where I go next, and what sort of reaction I will ascertain.

I assume I am like no other, in many ways I am dissimilar to the majority of mankind; I have been through experiences, undesirable I’m sure, which have left me with a new sense of the world around me. I gaze around and I don’t think I quite see what other people see, and in all fairness I’m glad I don’t.

The girl on the beach, which I mentioned earlier, was slightly larger than normal people. I would not say obese, but curvy, none the less. I make that opinion independently of what my peers then went on to say next; I am able to evaluate other people because I was once like that myself, having been there leaves me with deepest sympathy for those, “suffering” (Possibly, or completely, the incorrect word to use, it is not “suffering” for those who do not mind.)

My peers who were present on the beach immediately, without any haste, decided to release an onslaught of verbal garbage amongst them selves, quite audibly I might add, about the size of the girl who was playing on the beach. I see little or no problem with what she looked like, it is her prerogative, but they seemed to take a great disliking to her. Several equations to certain sea-mammals (typical I can assure you on the beach…) left me feeling, although completely detached from this young girl, completely and utterly vulnerable. I, by no means, think I am thin, but neither do I feel predominantly fat – Sure I have my days, but don’t we all? I know I still have a little way to get to my goal, but the thought of the way my peers were talking about the girl on the beach left me thinking; “What the hell do they think of me?!”.

Now people will be thinking “Oh, they won’t think that about you, you’re their friend”… Wrong. I think you are even worse of a human being if you make harsher judgements against those you do not know compared to those who you do know.

The comments did not stop at comparing her to a “whale” nor did they get any better. It was then asked whether she was a “dwarf” or a “normal sized little person” and then made various remarks on her clothes, including her “very, very tight top […] which doesn’t help”. The comments even got so far as to complain about her when she was “standing side on”, making juvenile and sarcastic remarks, “Oh I’m getting turned on,” to which they all laughed.

I find it ridiculous and disgusting that comments were made. I looked at her and I didn’t see anything that was out of the norm, nor did I even start to worry about her size; I do not know her, nor can I make a judgement. I find it hard to contemplate what makes a person believe they can comment on a “big” person and not on the disgusting, emaciated, bodies of the “young and beautiful” girls…

I for one pity my peers, and I hope you do to. I for one like people for who they are, and not their waste size.

By the way, 4 exams down, 2 to go; I’m coming home soon!

Losing faith in mankind,
Jonathan.

The last week has been revision filled, I don’t think I could have done much more, for the six exams I have in the next 2 weeks, and then I have a week after that which will consist of pretty much living within university laboratories for a few days, and then I’m free for the entire summer! I cannot wait! May the 23rd, here we come!

Tomorrow, just about, is my designing systems exam… What a joke that is. We have done 6 hours of supervised learning and we’ve got a 2 hour examination on it? I don’t understand what the subject consists of, really, Human computer interfaces, Data-flow modelling, and report building? Feels a bit like they’ve taken the off-cuts of all the other subjects and shoved them into a subject, but there we go.

Anyway, I must dash as I am to be up at the crack of dawn tomorrow to re-read my notes.

Hope you are well.

Jonathan.

So today I wore socks that could have not matched any less - Where have my socks gone, it’s ridiculous!

A week tomorrow is my first exam, I should probably be worried, but circumstances are leaving me feeling empty and worry-free… I’m stressed out, but with no reason? I just don’t understand.

So my portfolio and CV will probably be going up sometime soon - I still need to work on the flash element for my portfolio, but that’ll have to be something that waits until after exams.

*Sigh* Better get back to revision. >Grumble<