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March 25, 2008
Online ordering and home delivery of groceries.
I will hug it and I will squeeze it and I will call it 'George'.
When you live on the top floor of a block of flats, dragging up 10 litres of fluids, half a kilo of washing powder and half a dozen glass bottles of sauces is something akin to climbing Mt Everest. When you get to buzz someone else in to carry it up for you it's gold.
Converted. I may still buy my fruit and veg at the markets but it's online shopping from now on in London for everything else!!!
Posted by jj at 10:37 PM | Comments (0)
March 23, 2008
Compensation contemplation delectation
Oh how much do I love Clive James! In his latest article for the BBC News Magazine, James explores the result of a compensation claim for injuries sustained by tripping on a grape in an M&S carpark. It's gold folks. Enjoy.
Posted by jj at 11:51 PM | Comments (0)
Happy Easter!!!
And it's snowing again today!!! :) Very quietly, soft white flakes are falling from the sky past my windows!
Oh this is so beautiful!
Posted by jj at 8:43 AM | Comments (0)
March 22, 2008
YAY!!!!!
OH MY GOD IT'S SNOWING!!!!!!!!!!
[EDIT: okay it was an extremely short snow shower but it was indeed snow that fell from the sky, not hail. It swirled around and I caught a few flakes in my hand! YAY!!!]
Posted by jj at 2:03 PM | Comments (1)
March 21, 2008
London Holiday confusion
I'm finding the shopping hours for London over Easter totally mystifying but also rather convenient. Apparently to Sainsbury's, Good Friday (today) and Easter Monday are the important and sombre days of the Easter season, because it is on these days that my local Sainsbury's is closed. It is open however, both on Easter Saturday and Easter Sunday. Morrisons, however, disagrees. It believes the true Easter holiday is Easter Sunday and is closed all day, but it is open on all other days of the Easter period.
I'm not sure whether this is a matter of collusion to ensure there's always a grocery store open within walking distance, or whether the managers running these enterprises are unaware that the two usual holidays over Easter are in fact, Good Friday and Easter Sunday, with Good Friday being the more observed and significant of the two, but I'm not complaining. I need milk today anyway.
Posted by jj at 8:36 AM | Comments (0)
March 19, 2008
Stuff that's important to my work and may interest others.
The post title describes the following, so here are the details....
* Google stuff
- There are changes afoot for search engine optimisation with Google search results pages ending up being linked to as destination pages. This impacts both on marketing and particularly in-line advertising for rich media content.
- The UMPC (Ultra Mobile Portable Computer) market is finally maturing with Google recognising a marked growth in hot mobile phones being used to access internet content.
- Google just keep losing on their bid to trademark gmail in Europe.
* Other stuff
- Due to slowing of the global economy, eMarketer has revised its estimations for online ad spend downwards, but it's still going to be worth $25.8 billion for 2008.
- A New York based entrepreneur has started up a professional introduction service for business with the unfortunately titled SalesConx. Let's hope this isn't just a series of sales cons(x).
- Adweek have a nice case study article on how a social-networking-oriented online media campaign has longevity well past the expiry date of traditional media in an integrated multichannel campaign.
- Probably not the most bizarre use of Facebook, but animal researchers have been recording squirrel behaviours on Facebook and found that between the 65 squirrels studies, there's only three degrees of separation among them. Now I'm sure that little bit of profundity should get you through the day.
Posted by jj at 9:19 AM | Comments (0)
March 18, 2008
A Sci-fi Odyssey
One of the greatest sci-fi authors, Arthur C Clarke has just fallen off the planet. I hope you're among the stars now, Arthur. RIP.
Posted by jj at 11:41 PM | Comments (0)
Tuesday video
Today I am wearing white. Apparently in London terms this makes me astonishing at the very best and probably socially deficient at the very worst. Mental note: only wear white in this country when you want people to look at you as if you are insane.
And to continue the weirdness, thanks to Peter for this video of the Boston Dynamics 'Big Dog' robot project, which is designed to be an all-terrain walker. Only it doesn't look like a dog. It looks more like a creepy mix of a giant wasp and a horse.
Posted by jj at 11:43 AM | Comments (0)
March 17, 2008
Wot office?
Thanks to Frank for the link to this tour of Google Zurich. Our next office will be like that. I hope :)
Posted by jj at 6:34 PM | Comments (0)
Happenings amidst the London buzz at Xenial...
1. Just lost out to a competitor on the property to which I was hoping to move our business. However, the landlords at our current address have offered us 6 months in an expanded facility here. I think I will take it.
2. Employed one staff member last week and hope to have another two start next week. Also negotiated a contract with a current staff member, taking him from contract to full time staff member.
3. Just received a certificate from our server host telling us we'd managed to save trees by hosting with them. The certificate was printed on paper and sent in a heavy cardboard envelope. I think that's what we call 'irony'.
4. Have spent my morning building two desks and two chairs (as well as dealing with general admin and crises and running meetings). Managed to make the residents downstairs think that someone was being injured up here. This is possibly a bad thing.
5. Had clam chowder for lunch. Yum.
6. Last week, Bebo was sold to AOL for US$850 million. Last year Microsoft paid US$240 million for its 1.6% share of Facebook, nominally valuing the social networking site at US$15billion. I am in the right industry.
7. I will catch up with people. Soon. I promise. Maybe even over Easter. Maybe even with pics of London.
Posted by jj at 2:31 PM | Comments (0)
March 12, 2008
I'm glad I live in London
... given what Melbourne is dealing with over the next week...
Forecast for Thursday Fine and mostly sunny. Light wind tending moderate north to northwesterly during the morning, then local afternoon bayside seabreezes. Max 38
Friday Fine. Min 25 Max 39
Saturday Fine. Min 19 Max 30
Sunday Fine. Min 20 Max 36
Monday Fine. Min 20 Max 36
Tuesday Fine. Min 21 Max 36
Wednesday Shower or two developing. Min 23 Max 30
Posted by jj at 9:35 PM | Comments (2)