Cyber country

Rural areas lead broadband takeup.

Do not do it

It's all on Graphjam.

At last

Well, it's only two years (to the day) since John's Blog spotted the Croc, and finally I have a pair. I'm not sure why - perhaps the online reviews got the better of me.

And?

I love them.

The way it should be done

As this year's Eurovision starts to fade in our collective memories, lets go back 27 years to this irresistible piece of television.

Now, that's what we call Eurovision, isn't it? None of your fancy graphics and dark televisual trickery. Just a nice stable shot of a hi-tech (back then) scoreboard. Take a look, and enjoy with me:

:: The special effect on that scoreboard for the winning country
:: Terry referring to the "hit parade". That's my boy
:: The lights around the door as the winners come on stage
:: Oh, just everything. Special.

When I'm 64

From Steve Martin's Facebook notes came the link to Face of the Future by the clever people of St Andrew's University.

And there, just to your left, is how it says I'll look when I'm older.

It seems to think I'll have lost my hair. Strange.

Someday, somewhere

I don't know what you'll get when you click this photoblog, but on the basis of all I've seen, it'll be striking.

Saving time, saving life

I saw a talk last week by David Philpott from the Kent Air Ambulance Trust. Fascinating.

On their website, you can see just how quick a helicopter can get to the scene, and what it's like inside one. And here's their plan. Now that's how to run a business.

Incidentally, David says that, as part of staying on top of the information game, he automatically tracks blog entries about the Trust. In which case, hi David.

Shock news

The rubber turkey from Ireland is out of Eurovision.

Mouldy

These earphones won't fall out - the gel inside moulds to the shape of your ear.

Flocking together

From washingtonpost.com, Why Everyone You Know Thinks the Same as You.

Sweet

You could be a while in here. Chocolatebuttons.co.uk

Downhill all the way

(From The New Yorker. I also liked this one.)

The web belongs to all of us. And this is what we do with it.

No.

Really?

People spend their time doing this?

Oh dear me.

I didn't like to look too closely, but the idea of AirlineMeals.net seems to be that you upload photos of the food they give you on planes. And, if you're preparing to travel, that you check this site first, to see what you're going to get.

Here comes the Tube

Nokia's iPod Touch-killer... The Tube is almost here.

OK, no, let's be honest, Christmas is coming sooner. But it's nice to know they're working on it.

From the North

Here's a cracking good read - Pies and Prejudice, Stuart Maconie on the North.

Here he is in Crewe:

"Fairly quiet on a Thursday morning... Two youths in the ubiquitous hoodie style of the early twenty-first century are trying to be menacing by a bus stop but failing because of the utter ridiculousness of their appearance. I know it's a sure sign of middle age when you start chortling at how young people dress but, really, a hood worn over a flat cap. The effect is less lethal urban gangster than senile old bloke unaware that he's put two hats on."

Doctor will virtually see you now

Who'd have thought, when John's Blog first heard about Second Life, that a whole dedicated news site on Reuters would be reporting economic action to tackle the soaring price of land in the game, or that Spongebob Squarepants would feel the need to make his presence felt.

And now, if your Spanish teenager is embarrassed by their ailment, they can get real advice, from proper experts, via the Second Life portal.

Domestic bliss

Now wouldn't this be nice. It's the Electrolux Trilobite 2.o.

A robot vacuum cleaner.

Oh yes.

It will, however, cost you the best part of £800.

The kazoo - a vital part of hit making

Smooth jazz man Dave Koz on how to make a hit. I love this. The canteloupe melon makes for a very stylish hat, and at the end, a complete guide to a mixing desk console.

All on the map

A story told via a map.

An extra shot in the Venti

Tell Starbucks what you think - mystarbucksidea.com

Podding with style

The excellent Stephen Fry is now with us in the world of the podcast - or podgrams, as he calls them, here on his website, and here on iTunes.