As another year draws to a close, its perhaps time to take a look back at what has been happening and of course, expectations for the coming year. Plus, now that I’ve finished my last big social engagement before new years, it seems as though I have some time on my hands!

2007, a look back

One of the big things that has happened this year was of course the announcement and launch of the iPhone. If you have managed to miss that one, then I can only imagine the amount of beer you must have been drinking to dull the outside world!

The iPhone

I have one, its a sexy phone, and in many ways I think has got people thinking about different ways we can interact with our technology, rather than relying on old conventions. The iPhone has also, I think, started to really drive a shift in how network operators look at data. In the US it has let to mobile operators taking the first steps towards embracing the concept of ‘unlimited’ data; whilst in more advanced European markets we are seeing greater competition between operators and also a push towards creating ubiquitous wifi access plans for customers.Its not the best phone in the world, with no support for things I have been used to, such as MMS. Plus, it has a really rubbish camera compared to my previous Sony Ericsson Cybershot, but its sheer usability would make me hard to take that step back.Hopefully, this will be the catalyst for more cool and innovative devices over the next year.

Operating System Wars

February marked the release of Windows Vista, which no-one seemed to notice.With many early adopters going back to XP, it seems as though Microsoft tried to bite off a bit too much with this one, ending up delivering an operating system which sucks resources and alienates existing users with its new features.October marked the release of OS X Leopard from Apple, which a few more people seemed to notice.With many early adopters going back to Tiger, it seems as though Apple perhaps let this cat out of the page a bit too early, delivering an operating system that adds many fantastic incremental enhancements but at the sometime has managed to alienate existing users with a slew of annoying bugs.

The Social Geek

One of my personal highlights has been the explosion of geek events over the past year - from the usual skillswaps and networking sessions to wine and cider tastings. I’m not sure if this has just been a Brighton thing, but it is fantastic to be working in an industry with so many diverse, skilled and interesting people.

Another Bubble?

Its been like the late nineties all over again, with massive investments in technology and innovative web applications springing up left right and center. Too be honest, I think its a serious problem as soon there will be no domain names left! We already have web applications dropping vowels ll vr th plc, Shakespr would turn in his grave!One thing I’ve noticed is that innovation still seems to be in place, but this time around many of the business models seem to be a lot more conservative. Hopefully because of this, we are not on the brink of another crash.

Micro-whats?

Last year, one of my predictions was that microformats would be one of the next big things to hit us this year. Looking back, I seem to have got that one a bit wrong. Whilst many sites have implemented them into their markup, I think various community issues and the lack of any decent applications which consume them; has really hit hard.Although they serve a worthy purpose, putting a semantic structure around complex data types and this making them easier to parse and detect, I don’t think they are going to be the next big thing. For a start there is very little consensus around many of the specifications in development, hindering their adoption and leaving developers to go and mark up their data in their own way. Instead, the next big thing I think is going to be data detection at the OS level.One of the cool things about Leopard is how you can hover over an e-mail signature and automatically import a person into your address book, with excellent accuracy. No strings or hCards involved! Rather than relying of developers to standardize on a markup sub-format, lets put more energy into recognizing data. I would expect Apple’s data detection technology to work its way into Safari and other applications soon enough.

2008, the year ahead

So what about 2008, lets have a look.

Browser Wars

The recent legal challenge to Microsoft, by Opera Software, over Internet Explorer’s poor standards compliance is an interesting one. I think ultimately it is a bit pointless, but we should also realize that Microsoft are in a position to do something substantial with their browser.For a start, IE8 has a new rendering engine which passes the Acid2 test - that in itself is an big win for web developers everywhere. What could really be game changing is if that engine was in fact Webkit - lets stop it with proprietary rendering engines each with their own quirks and embrace common platforms, giving web developers of the future a few less things to worry about!

AIR Heads

Q1 will see the release of Adobe Integrated Runtime (AIR), which I have been excited about for a while. Mainly because it offers a viable and straightforward route for web developers to create widgets and applications for the desktop. With the ubiquity of the Flash player, and the many exciting developments this year and on the board for the Flash Platform, I can see AIR doing well.What makes me so positive about this is the open relationship Adobe are forging with the development community. Proactively seeking input and critique of their software and strategies, and at the same time releasing things such as Flex and AMF as open source. Things have definitely changed for the better.

Personal Stuff

On a personal note, 2008 should be interested for two reasons. The first being that I have recently accepted a new role, one which should open the door for some interesting projects and technology work. Sadly, it does also mean I will be leaving Brighton (I’ll be back!) for the shiny lights and hustle of New York City - a nice adventure!The second item has been on the cards for most of the past year, I have a book coming out later in the year dedicated to Creating Mashups with Adobe Flex and AIR which I have been writing with my good friends David and John. Quite exciting, though Amazon continually seem to be discounting it, which may not be a good sign! Get your pre-orders in today!Also on the drawing board is a blog redesign, which I have been working on for a while… watch this space! (more…)

First of all, I do want to say I enjoyed this film. It had a few dodgy moments, but on the whole it was good. And of course Natalie Portman was lovely throughout, even after she was shaved! I’d also like to say that I have not read the graphic novels upon which the film is based, I’m not sure if thats a good thing or not.One of the main complaints about Matrix Reloaded is that it took the world established in the first film and attempted to add a load of religious and philisophical underpinnings to it. Truth be told, that was one of the more enjoyable additions in my opinion - in fact if I had to find a flaw I would say that the fight scenes, whilst visually impressive, went on for way too long. V for Vendetta takes a similar approach when it comes to relevant political issues, and does provolk thought.Set around 20 years into the future, the film depicts a 1984-esque society. America is in a state of civil war after its war on terror backfired. Following a series of biological attacks, including ones on a school and tube station, the Conservative party picked up momentum in Britain. Under the leadership of Adam Sutler, a Hitler-like figure played by John Hurt, Britain has managed to avoid civil unrest by adopting a everything-under-the-sun-phobic policy. Media is controlled by the government, books such as the Quo’ran have been banned and citizens who break the rules are quickly black bagged and taken away.

In this dark world, Evey (Natalie Portman) is rescued from goverment policemen by V. He is the revolutionary or terrorist of the story, always masked, with a dark past and modelled upon Guy Fawkes.

“Remember, remember, the fifth of November, The gunpowder treason and plot. I know of no reason why gunpowder treason should ever be forgot.” 

After blowing up the Old Bailey, V appears on television blaming the state of the nation public’s inaction to stand up in the face of tyranny. He urges the people to make a stand, on November the 5th, outside of the Houses of Parliament.Flashbacks provide us with a view of V’s past, a victim of goverment experimentation - with the aim to create a biological weapon, a virus, which can be used to control a population. In many ways like the Big Death in the short-lived series Jeremiah.Meanwhile, Evey becomes the subject of unwanted attention by the goverment, and eventually seeks refuge with Dietrich, a broadcaster brilliantly played by Stephen Fry. Dietrich himself has many similarities to V, and his own secrets - he is homosexual and possesses a collection of outlawed art and literature. When he is eventually discovered Evey is captured, shaved, tortured and locked in a cell. The twist? Her captor is not the government, it is V.His motive? To make Evey face death, to face her fear, so that she can let go of it and become something stronger. This brainwashing demonstrates just how extremist V has become, and how far he is willing to go. After falling victim to Stockholm syndrome, Evey mistakes her beliefs for love.So, what is V? A terrorist or a revolutionary? Is there any difference? Is his means justified given the ultimate end? In a post 9-11 world all of these themes become extremely relevant. On one hand he is a man, persecuted by a corrupt government seeking to change things for the better by bringing people round to his way of thinking and spreading the message, inciting revolt. On the other, he is akin to Osama Bin Laden, performing terrible acts to incite fear, brainwashing followers into carrying out similar acts. It is a fine line between the two, and V’s mask prevents us identifying with him, further blurring his true nature.After asking some thought provolking questions, V for Vendetta leaves the audience feeling both satisfied and thinking about issues which affect us all. The characters are well written, and the style of the film compliments the story. It is slightly let down by some sloppy editing, but otherwise a solid thriller about how things could be if we are not careful! (more…)

…interestingly, this film had a bit of a similar feeling to Cabin Fever, in that you are not initally sure what kind of film Roth is making. The story starts off in Amsterdam, with a pair of American backpackers and a random Icelandic sex-addict enjoying the nightlife. At this point, it feels very much like American Pie, and I was left wondering why people had been saying how bloody this film was. But, the Amsterdam scenery brought back memories of my last visit there, so I sat back and lapped it up.The fateful trio manage to get locked out of their hostel and meet a local pimp who tells them of a hostel in Bratislava full of attractive women who are gagging for it, so this begins the trek across Europe. Along the way you are treated to some lovely, albeit bleak, scenery - I must remember to take a holiday to Bratislava some day.Once our ‘heroes’ are nicely checked into the hostel, you start to get hints that things are perhaps not all what they appear and that something sinister is lurking in the backdrop. For a start the girls at the hostel seem way to nice for Eastern Europe! The next morning, after a night in the disco, we discover that the Icelandic sex machine has “checked out”. After a bit of searching, the Americans decide to forget about it and go drink some beer with the girls which leads to both of them being drugged. Luckily one manages to get locked in a cupboard whist searching for the toilets, and is spared a horrible fate… for a short while at least.Josh, wakes up in some kind of dungeon and is confronted by the eccentric German fellow whom they met on the train earlier in the movie. He says how he always wanted to be a doctor, however he had shakey hands so didn’t quite make it. But no worries, he gets to fine tune his skills using the array of tools in the room, and this is where it starts to get quite gory. I do admire Roth for not going all out on the gore, in many ways only suggesting the horrific torture unfolding before the viewers, and also not dwelling on it for too long. As a director he has definately matured in that respect.The other American, Paxton, also ends up in the dungeon which turns out to be part of a derelict factory. Although his piano career is now ruined, he manages to escape his torturer and contemplate escap (Tip: Never run with a chainsaw!). All throughout this, the filmmakers do an excellent job of conveying the terror and “screwed up”-ness of the situation. This is definately something which keeps you on the edge of your seat certainly contrasts with the lighthearted beginning of the film.Instead of simply running, or fighting, you see Paxton beginning to take his fate into his own hands and showing morallity. Wether that be through choosing to rescue a fellow captive or ultimately his revenge on the delightful German fellow who chopped up Josh. The characters are totally believable, even the torturers, and that is what adds a lot of weight to this film.If you sweep back the gore and the sex, you end up with a film that examines the dark depths of the human psyche - would you pay for the opportunity to take a life? How would you do it? Would you show mercy? The torturers are not nameless, faceless machines. They are real people; with families, small children. They are doing it for different reasons - the feeling of power, control, fear; to live their dreams. Some are addicted to it and keep coming back for more. Some do it mercilessly, others cannot bear the screams or begging of their victims.From Josh and Paxton’s perspective you feel their terror, which leads you to ask what would you do in a similar situation? How far would you go to survive? How far would you go to save another human being? How far would you go to have revenge?An excellent film, recommended for all the gore fans out there but also to those looking for something a bit deeper.Wow. My first review, I’ve not really wrote something like this for ages so apologies if it is rubbish. Stay tuned for V for Vendetta! (more…)