Laptop lids

(Goodness, this is only my second post this month. Evidently real life is getting in the way. I have a massive list of things I’d like to write about, if that’s any consolation to my readers.) We live in the time where the laptop computer is ubiquitous. Most people who have a home personal computer use a laptop now, and it’s starting to become the primary workplace device too. Although tablets are gaining in popularity, it’ll be a while before they have anything like that market share. So let’s talk about laptop lids. Laptop computers fold away for ease of portability. It’s very easy to carry around a cuboid-shaped device. This isn’t news to anyone. But wherever I go — home or office — I see people walking around with...

Posted by on Sep 17, 2011 in Tech | 7 comments

You’re grounded

This week I have been abroad on business, and suffered a major delay of about 5 hours coming home when one engine of the aeroplane failed to start during the takeoff procedure. When this happens on a long-haul flight, the passengers are subjected to something rather odd: They are asked to stay on the plane. In the dark. With nothing to do. From asking around, it seems the explanation for this has two key components: Pilots are only permitted to work for a certain number of hours, so they can guarantee alertness. For this reason, letting people back into the terminal building when there is a race against the clock could be disastrous, as one lost passenger could cost the entire flight. The main cabin lights, entertainment system and microwave/fridge for food and...

Posted by on Sep 11, 2011 in Thoughts | 6 comments

Too many stairs

Too many stairs

Here’s a question that I’ve been meaning to ask my readers: How many flights of stairs is too many stairs? In my last building I lived on the fourth floor1 and I always tried to take the stairs as much as possible but would go up in the lift if I had heavy bags or I was sufficiently tired and/or drunk. Now I live on the third floor I am much more inclined to climb them even if I’m tired. I think five, or maybe six, would be the limit at which point the lift would win except when I’m feeling extra-healthy. Let’s take a quick straw poll. Are any of my readers conscious of their stair-climbing limits? Please share them in the comments!2 In Europe this means four floors above the ground floor. [↩]Twitterers: Please may I request...

Posted by on Jul 10, 2011 in Thoughts | 4 comments

Verbal after-images

As a former denizen of Manchester, it gave me a warm memory, on returning to that metropolis the other day, to hear the familiar sound: Caution! Bollards in motion! It got me thinking, though. Ten months away from Manchester and that phrase — not just its words but its tempo, pitch and timbre — is still etched into my brain. In the era of recorded sound, specific repeated recorded phrases can become mnemonic cues, much like specific street scenes or smells.1 How many of these are cues for you? Stand clear of the closing doors. Unexpected item in bagging area! Would Inspector Sands please come to the communication room? Kids and grown-ups love it so; the happy world of Haribo. First TransPennine Express apologises for the late running of this service, and for the...

Posted by on Jun 16, 2011 in Thoughts | 1 comment