How would a variety of geniuses fit into a modern British university? Answer: they probably wouldn’t even get past the application form, let alone the job interview… Name of applicant: Austen, Jane “At times a charming candidate, but too coy to fit into our department of women’s studies. Her research on the paradigms of marriage […]
Archive for August, 2009
The genius at the job interview
30 Aug 2009 at 07:30
David Haden
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Culture by the seaside
30 Aug 2009 at 07:15
David Haden
Creative industries, Regeneration
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Two seaside towns, both striving to use expensive infusions of shipped-in culture to regenerate their image. Margate is building the £50-million Turner Contemporary gallery. Abu Dhabi is building a £27-billion ‘culture island’. I wonder if they’ll be importing cultural bloggers too? And Korea is building a new ‘city of books’ and fine publishing, surrounded not […]
LCD screen tablet converter
28 Aug 2009 at 18:13
David Haden
Artist(s), Creative software, Techie
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The DUO EZ Canvas Touch Screen Tablet Converter is certainly an interesting concept. Although I can’t find a single review for this, which makes me suspicious the accuracy isn’t pixel-perfect and/or tilt and pressure-sensitive. It converts a flat-panel monitor into a touch-sensitive Wacom-style pad for artists, complete with plexiglass cover to prevent damage to the […]
Metro artless
I hear that Associated Newspapers has just sent the lifestyle and arts reporters for the Birmingham Metro free newspaper on indefinite leave, ahead of expected redundancy.
Summary of the NESTA videogames report
Develop magazine has a long summary of the forthcoming NESTA report on how the government might support the videogames industry in the UK.
Open PSI
Open PSI, a seemingly new website offering a small variety of free official datasets which users are encouraged to mash up in any way they see fit. There’s a ‘List of Community Interest Companies’, which is presumably complete as they all officially register. It might be interesting to see if there are any Community Interest […]
The Internet in Britain, 2009
26 Aug 2009 at 08:34
David Haden
Creative industries, Mapping, Zeitgeist
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A new July 09 Oxford Internet Survey 2009 Report: The Internet in Britain (PDF, 2Mb). Also recently published, Economic Value of the Advertising-Supported Internet Ecosystem.
Post announces its options
The Birmingham Post editor spells out the difficult choices: reduce the daily paper in size and coverage, or become a hefty 96-page weekly title + supplements. As one of the comments points out, there may also be an outside chance of a civic-ownership trust or even a local billionaire like John Caudwell sweeping in with […]
Report on mobile advertising in 2020
25 Aug 2009 at 23:32
David Haden
Creative industries, Zeitgeist
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A vision of mobile advertising in 2020 (PDF, 8Mb). Now I’m no expert, but I can immediately spot something missing from this new report — it doesn’t mention sophisticated mobile ad-blocking software, able to silently block ads en-masse while still accessing content. In Firefox, for instance, I currently use AdBlock Plus, Flashblock, and YouTube Comments […]
Saved by SF
Saved by SF… “And one day I found myself browsing [the local library] and said “Hey, I think I’ve heard of this Ray Bradbury chap….” Which led to Asimov, Clarke, Frank Herbert and so on. … I was subconsciously shown that the universe is bigger than some boring old council estate. It’s what made me […]
Can the Creative Industries Revolutionise the UK Economy?
23 Aug 2009 at 22:37
David Haden
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Another Big Debate rolls around… this time it’s “Can the Midlands’ Creative Industries Revolutionise the UK Economy?” on Monday 2nd November 2009 at the International Convention Centre (ICC) in central Birmingham.
Foundation courses cut
23 Aug 2009 at 22:24
David Haden
Artist(s), Arts cuts, Creative industries, Teaching
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Another major arts funding cut, to an absolutely vital part of the arts — foundation courses… “plans unveiled last month by the Higher Education Funding Council for England to cut funding for foundation degrees”
Widescreen Gaming Forum Master List
During the current temporary drought of blockbuster PC games, many PC gamers will be revisiting older games from 2006-2008 or even earlier (KOTOR, etc). ‘Will they work in widescreen’ will be a major question. The comprehensive Widescreen Gaming Forum Master List knows the answers.
BayWords is back
In response to the recent legal ruling against Google — forcing Google to make public the identity of a female blogger who in her blog had merely dubbed a less-than-super model the “Skankiest in NYC” — The Pirate Bay has re-started its anonymous WordPress blogging service, previously down due to server-overload issues. skankiest.baywords.com already taken, […]
Avatar trailer
Avatar trailer on Apple. The film looks like a videogame, which I guess is the point. It also looks dreadfully clichéd, but sort of fun — and probably even more fun in the stereo-3D it was made to showcase.
Gopher it
The Squirrelizer.
Birmingham Book Festival
The forthcoming Birmingham Book Festival has its full programme online now.
Insight Out
18 Aug 2009 at 16:40
David Haden
Birmingham, Creative industries, Teaching
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Insight Out, a new post-graduation support package for recent creative graduates of BIAD.
Air fresheners for men?
Is there a market for air fresheners for men? They don’t seem to be available. I’m thinking a mix of gunmetal scrapings, highly polished leather boots, damp tweed, sandalwood, pine resin, and fine pipe tobacco. Heh…
Minimal Access
Wolverhampton’s world-class Initial Access gallery goes minimalist this Autumn, with a major new show. Possibly the most interesting show in the Midlands so far announced, for this coming Autumn. Minimal Means (8th September – 12th December 09) will be the seventh exhibition at Initial Access and will feature John M Armleder, Mathias Bengtsson, Dunne & […]