Here is a follow up vid to the original Super News one of Twouble with Twitters
Is this how Twitter has now evolved?
Fri 29 May 2009
The Apprentice and Social Media
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You may not know this, but i’m a big Apprentice fan and have been watching the show from when it first started with Donald Trump in the U.S.
Although i’m not an active personal blogger, i just had to post some of the best things i’ve seen in the Social Media world related to The Apprentice over the past few weeks.
As far as i know, none of the four links below are related to the BBC in anyway and yet all four have helped enhance The Apprentice Brand by the use of Social Media.
Without excpetion all of the four links have made thousands of Apprentice and non-Apprentice fans laugh a lot and some even almost choke on their Hob Nobs!
1- Cassette Boy vs the Bloody Apprentice
This guy is a blaady genius, watch and enjoy!
2- Boleg Bros
These guys have been doing the Lego Apprentice for quite a while, but when i saw the version of the one where Ben got fired, i cried with laughter!
3- DJ Dub - This is a brilliant music mix of Sir Alan
4- Are you an Apprentice addict? This link does what it says on the tin. Simple and to the point, hilarious!
Sat 4 Apr 2009
Well today was the day, 4am on 4th April. Did i get up in time, yes i did, but it did not run at all smoothly as i expected.
Here is a brief write up of my happenings for the 4amProject
I thought you just turn up at a place you want to take a picture of at 4am, point and shoot and go back to bed.
As i’m currently working in and around Salisbury, i thought why not go for one of the oldest monuments in the world, Stonehenge. After all, the pictures i have seen of it at night it is clearly floodlit by night, or so i thought. My alarm goes off at 3am and i’m there by 3.20 and shocked to see TOTAL darkness. No floodlights or anything. Couldn’t even see the security guards. Great disappointment for me as i was looking forward to a picture of a monument 4,500 years old at 4am.
So plan B. There isn’t one. So i make up one and head to Salisbury to take a picture of the wonderful cathedral there.
Failed again, all the gate entrances are locked and can’t even get within the gardens to picture it, as all gates don’t open till 7.30am.
So, plan C. As you may of gathered i only had plan A, so now i went round the streets of Salisbury which turned out to be quite amazing.
I got to the car park in the main Town Square at which a couple in their car promptly moved on. Who knows what they were doing at 4am in an empty car park!
Thanks to getting a tripod late friday night from a work colleague, i started on my walk around Salisbury town centre and mainly taking pictures in the middle of the road because i could and there was nobody around for the major part.
There was a brief encounter with one drunk who crossed over the road to tell me he wanted me not to take pictures of him, not that i did anyway.
A lot of my Brummie chums headed for New Street so i thought it be only apt i take a picture of New Street also, in Salisbury and here it is.
New Street, Salisbury
I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, albeit i feel very disoriented at the moment, and would like to thank Karen Strunks for introducing me to such a new way of looking at the world. Same time next year anyone?
Sat 28 Mar 2009
The Apprentice
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Yes! Here in the UK, the fifth series of The Apprentice has now started.
Now you maybe wondering why am i getting so excited at watching a program that almost everything that is wrong about business and why the world is in the economic state that it’s in at the moment. That would be a correct assumption.
Well this series appears to have selected the same bunch of characters as the previous series, which seems to be people who are;
1. Arrogant
2. Don’t listen to anyones else’s views
3. Have no common sense
So you begin to wonder if the Producers of the show are selecting them more for ratings as opposed to the cream of young up and coming Apprentices for Sir Alan Sugar, fondly known as Suralun.
For me the first show was wildly entertaining for many reasons and i did Twitter a lot during the show and correctly predicted Anita to go, altho i think all the viewers wanted all three in The Boardroom to be fired, me included!
I do wonder if any of the participants have watched any of the previous shows and learnt from them? But then if they have any of the three characteristics i mentioned above, they will obviously know better!
To reduce the pain for my non-Apprentice Twitter followers, i have now set-up a new Twitter account for the show called @Twitprentice.
So for all you Apprentice fans, come and follow me over the coming 12 weeks of TV Gold here.
Tue 24 Mar 2009
Dragons’ Den
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I must admit, i do love BBC’s Dragons’ Den so when i was asked to be a Dragon at a local event in Birmingham, i jumped at the offer!
Before you get all excited, i haven’t got lots of millions of pounds to invest in your business venture, its all part of Engagement 2.0 event to be held in Birmingham, UK on 2nd April.
Other Dragons include Andy Albon, Colin Williams Director of Local Gov Services and Nick Ringrose of PWC.
If you are attending, it would be great to chat with you and also look forward to being on the webcast across the world.
If you want to read what Birmingham BEST is all about check this link here.
Sun 22 Mar 2009
Twitter Clients
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For some of you who are thinking of getting started on Twitter, you might want to look away now.
Ok, as you are continuing to read this, i guess you are already using Twitter and looking at ways of improving your enjoyment of the Twitter experience.
There are a number of clients out there, but the two main ones are Twirl and TweetDeck for desktops and Twitterfon and Tweetie for the iPhone and iPod touch.
Now i’ve only just got started on all four of these and have no specific preferences or recommendations other than try them all and see what best suits you.
The guys at Mashable have a wonderful head to head review between the two main desktop apps here.
Let me know what you think?
You can follow me at Twitter here @BostinBloke
Sat 21 Mar 2009
Having trouble understanding Twitter? Maybe this video will explain one perspective. Thanks to @Katchooo for enlightening me to this video. Enjoy!
Fri 20 Mar 2009
After much deliberation, i finally done it, i have now purchased my iPhone.
Well some of you may be thinking, what took you so long? Well many reasons and one main reason being cost.
Yes, here in the UK the tariffs seem extremely high, but then Simon Howes carried out some analysis when he was thinking of getting an iPhone and came up with longer term it is better to pay the up front cost of the Pay as you go with O2. So i did and got myself an 8GB.
Why do i love it so much?
Many moons ago in the dot-com-boom days of the late 90’s and early 00’s i used to work for subsidiaries of Vodafone and what is now called O2 and i often used to foam at the mouth at some of the handheld devices available in Japan which we used to try out and often never to be seen here in UK. We often dreamt of a handheld device in the future that you could browse the web, take pictures, listen to music and play games. The iPhone is that dream that is now a reality.
Until you try one, there is no point in me saying how good it is. The predictive text keyboard took a little getting used to, but now that i am, i find my old touchscreen phone very cumbersome.
I’m looking forward to blogging my Highland trip around Scotland during Easter and i’m sure there will be many more who will tell you why they love their iPhone!
Sun 1 Mar 2009
Nintendo Wii Fit
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It was sons birthday this week, so i decided to buy him a Nintendo Wii Fit.
I wanted to buy it for Christmas but it kept selling out before i could get to a store. Now i know why.
Having used it for a little over a day, i have to say it is simply bostin!
Why do i think its soooo good? Simple. It is using amazing technology advances to aid the fitness of kids and adults alike. You will always hear me shouting about things that i find good and want to share with you.
It uses four main forms of excerise; 1. Yoga, 2. Balance Games, 3. Strength Training and 4. Aerobics
Of all the gaming consoles, i cannot rave enough about the Nintendo Wii simply because its about motion and excercise and not sitting on a chair/sofa getting aching thumbs and fingers like other consoles. With Nintendo Wii, your whole body can ache.
Having never been skiing, i was thrilled after a few attempts on the Wii Fit to get a clear run on the ski slalom game that is standard with Wii Fit. You may laugh, but i found the hula-hoop game, quite exhausting.
So if you have a Nintendo Wii and not got a Wii Fit yet, go and buy one. Your kids will love it and you will love it too!
Mon 9 Feb 2009
There was a recent post on Christian Payne’s blog about his Grandma being on Twitter.
I had to post this reply from Louise, who sums up nicely how we should be thinking of our elders.
What else can I write that hasn’t been written about this post?
As younger adults, we tend to forget that old people were young at some point and that they lived through similar joys and heartaches. When we look at old persons, we normally don’t see individuals; we only see frail bodies moving slowly and anonymously in the margins of society, like shadows of their former selves. That’s a mistake: their body may be weak, but their mind is strong and their memories alive. They have so much to tell us if only we would take time to ask questions and listen.
You’re setting an example for us all. You’re making us realize that technology does not have to be a barrier between generations; that it can be used to stimulate dialogue and built intergenerational bridges. Through you and your use of technology, your Nonna stops being an old lady and becomes alive as an individual: a strong-willed and warm woman, a fighter, a survivor. And the result is sheer magic.
Thank you Christian for leading the way. You’re a generous, caring and sensitive soul, and we are all very proud of you 
