I am Ashley Elsdon

someone who's doing some things

Author: ashleyelsdon

Storyteller - Poet - Explorer

So, I love the idea of modular phones and device, but I’m not sure it’s going in the right direction

Posted by on in TechLeave a comment

The whole idea of the modular phone is great. Not a new concept of course but a good application of the idea. I think that this stuff started with hardware like the Handspring Visor and its springboard modular hardware. I think that what’s happening now is a continuation of that. It’s a step in the right direction. But I do have issues with it.

So it appears that there are at least three different companies working on modular phones. That’s fine. It’s a good thing. But what I don’t like is that they’re all doing things in different ways and without a single central standard. So you won’t, as far as I’m aware, be able to swap modules from one type or brand of device to another. That doesn’t make any sense to me at all. I think it’s a lost opportunity.

My other problem is that these modular phones are all going to run Android. I can understand the reasons for this. I know it makes sense, but I’d really like to see some other operating systems available. In fact, more than that I’d like to see the ability to dual boot systems on modular phones, that would be consistent with having a modular phone. Makes sense doesn’t it? So why have only one OS? I don’t get it.

I hope that at least one of these companies can get it right and make a big step in the right direction, but at the moment I’m not convinced.

Listening to Considering Phlebas 

Posted by on in Books and AudiobooksLeave a comment

I’ve come to this late in the day I know. I’ve not read any of Iain M. Banks books before. So I decided to start with this book as I like long series, and apparently this is just that. I got the first book as an audiobook as I like listening to stories. So far I’m really impressed. I’m really interested and I’m looking forward to the whole story.

It makes me think of Dune in some ways, although that’s probably a little unfair as I’ve not really even started in to the series as yet, but from what I’ve heard so far it makes me think of that epic, and I loved Dune.

What to do with a wemo switch?

Posted by on in The Internet of ThingsLeave a comment

I’ve had this WEMO switch for ages now, and I got it working doing things like switching on a light depending on twitter hashtags using IFTTT. That’s all fine, and quite good fun, but essentially not too useful. So I’ve been thinking about what I could use it for that would be a really good and useful application of the device.

So far, nothing. No ideas at all. Which is a shame as I think it’s a good idea and should have a use. I just haven’t found it as yet.

Whatever happened to Romotive?

Posted by on in Robotics8 Comments

I was thinking more about Romo and the company that made them, Romotive. I know that they made their second version of Romo, which I didn’t kickstart, but I was wondering what happened to them after that. Their site doesn’t really seem to say what they’re up to at all. I think it would be a shame if that was it for them. Not least because I’d like to know a bit more about those aux ports as I’ve mentioned before.

I guess start ups like this come and go and they don’t always last. Which is inevitable.

A little development log of sorts

Posted by on in Making thingsLeave a comment

So as you know I’m always tinkering about with Palm OS stuff, and usually talking about it on Palmorama too. However, I thought it might be interesting to start off a little development blog of sorts for my latest creation, Seq1. I’ve started it off here as a page on the site, and I’ll be adding to it over the next few weeks and months.

Doctor Who: Engines of War, the verdict

Posted by on in Books and Audiobooks1 Comment

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So I wasn’t really looking forward to this audiobook. I’d bought it to see what it was like, to try it out and also because of the narrator, Nicolas Briggs, who I think is excellent. He really delivered with this book. His voices were excellent. Very convincing and very consistent. I was very impressed with that aspect of the production.

But what about the story? Well, I’m not going to give away any spoilers, so if you were thinking about listening to it you can read on. I liked the story a lot. It didn’t hold back at all. For me it seemed to give the War Doctor a proper identity and developed the character in the way I’d hoped that the writers would. It also firmly left open the possibility of a new set of War Doctor stories, and I hope that this too gets developed. I would certainly give them a listen if they appear.

So, all in all, a very solid audio story. Maybe Big Finish could take this further? I know they’d do an excellent job of it.

Charlie Hisgon’s The Enemy

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I’ve been a fan of these books since I started reading the first one. This year the last book in the series is due to be released in September. Book 7 will be the last book in the series. I know that they are really children’s books, but I still really like them and have read them all twice now I think.

I’m really looking forward to book 7 so I’ve decided to re-read all of them in the run up to the release of the last book. I’m going to enjoy doing that too.