While both the iPhone and Twitter are fantastic in what they do there are things that suffer. Both offer an immediacy in the flow of information that has changed many ways I do and enjoy things. One example is watching event TV while watching Live comments via Twitter. It all makes for a communal viewing event that enhances the experience. I can also take photos and without going through the camera>iPhoto>flickr>blog I can snap and Tweet. An example of this would be the recent #uksnow feed where I could not only Tweet weather conditions but actually show the pics to a live audience. This is where I come back to my opening statement. Sometimes we need to slow down.

One negative aspect of iPhone and Twitter is that I’ve stopped regularly posting to the blog. I’m too busy blurting out things I’m doing or what I’m thinking that there often is nothing left to blog that doesn’t feel like I’m repeating myself. And my photos have gone from me studying fine detail and form in upwards of ten megapixel detail to Polaroidesque snaps. I feel I’ve lost something that needs to be put back. I also feel that I’ve lost a purpose, something to look forward to. Something to provide ‘wantage’ and I think I may have found a solution to my problem.

From where I’m sat I can see a Sony DSC-T9 pocket camera that has served me well. If I was to look down the stairs I could see a Nikon D60 but I have no urge to use either of them, you see the Olympus PEN has worked its spell and got under my skin. I want one but I don’t think I need one, but there’s something about it I can’t quite see. A bit like Jack Skellington trying to work out what Christmas is.. What can it be?! What can it be?! I told Jayne who told me to just go out and buy one but I’m enjoying the mystery of it all at the moment. The feeling in the gut, the want. And why I’m still working out what this PEN is (its not a pocket camera and its not a nice big SLR) I do think that it will give me some enthusiasm to be more creative again. To make me slow down, stop and look at what’s around me.

That can only be a good thing, right?

I’ve had a steady stream of Tweets and photos posted via Twitter but its been a while since I’ve put anything meaningful down in the form of a blog post, how rude of me. In my defence I have been quite busy lately and the periodic Tweet is all I’ve been able to muster. That and the accessibility of Twitter especially with the new spit and polish Tweetie 2 on my iPhone. Its an all but perfect app but for push messaging and, frustratingly either by omission or my ability to find the feature, a way of automatically updating my profile location. The push gap has been filled with Boxcar which does what it says on the tin – almost. It is pushing fine from Twitter but for some strange reason refuses to push out Facebook comments. I know that it should because I have had some push messages from a stupid Facebook app that was leaving messages in my notifications area. I was quite hoping I could get comments pushed as I often don’t see them till I’ve been sent an email (I don’t check Facebook regularly and my Facebook status come from a link to Twitter) and that’s usually quite a time after the comments been left. Of course everyone who keeps leaving comments should just learn to reply to me on Twitter. Note to self, Tweet that last bit to Facebook so they know.

In other iPhone news Jayne poured milk in her 3G (don’t ask) so now she’s back on the 2G which stuffs my plans up as she will want the upgrade due Jan/Feb on the original contract. She’s already dropped comment about how nice a white iPhone would be. The upshot is that I have to be even more precious with my 3GS. I am doing everything I can to the extent that its lovingly wrapped in £50 worth of finest Argentinean leather courtesy of a Vaja case. If you’ve yet to see the Vaja cases they are well worth a look if even just through curiosity. They can be fully customised when you order although you will find that some of them end up in three figures. Mine is black outside and red inside (of course) although I really fancy a yellow one with two yellow stripes – very Kill Bill.

Finally #virgilioanderson trends on twitter and I feel partly responsible which is very cool.

For a number of weeks Richard Herring has been trying to get his nemesis Virgilio Anderson to trend but what with people dying and the Iranians kicking off there was too much chaff to cut through and tweets had become too fragmented to make a difference however when I saw that Jonathan Ross had got #MrsSlocomesPussy trending at the drop of a tweet that was too much.

I alerted Richard to the fact and his resulting tweet hit the spot. As I type #virgilioanderson is climbing the trending charts. Even more popular than Iran now!

Will we finally find him?

“A critical network upgrade must be performed to ensure continued operation of Twitter. In coordination with Twitter, our network host had planned this upgrade for tonight. However, our network partners at NTT America recognize the role Twitter is currently playing as an important communication tool in Iran. Tonight’s planned maintenance has been rescheduled to tomorrow between 2-3p PST (1:30a in Iran).

Our partners are taking a huge risk not just for Twitter but also the other services they support worldwide—we commend them for being flexible in what is essentially an inflexible situation. We chose NTT America Enterprise Hosting Services early last year specifically because of their impeccable history of reliability and global perspective. Today’s decision and actions continue to prove why NTT America is such a powerful partner for Twitter.”

While I understand the importance of the Iranians having a voice in the light of their government blocking so many forms of communication, by this time Twitter had just become a mess of hysterical western retweets and misinformation as people got caught up in a moment that had already come and gone. 90 mins wouldn’t have mattered in the grand scheme of things other to deprive them of their Twitter fix which was on large a major world event and much better than “I’m in Starbucks having a coffee”.

The BBC made a correct and more measured statement.

“Some caution needs to be observed however – for example, “tweets” picked up outside Iran and then “re-tweeted” elsewhere can have the potential to turn unsubstantiated rumours into “facts”".

A quick peek at Twitterfall this morning seems to show things have calmed down, or is it that the Americans are asleep? So some form of normality returns. That is until we approach the re-scheduled maintenance period.

That said, the truth is that Twitter just suits my habits. It often takes me a while to think of anything I feel I need to say and when I do I’ve either moved on to something else, said it on Skype, Tweeted it or dumped it on some forum post.

I’m afraid that the blog will continue to take a supporting role in the play that is my life.

You can always follow me

Twitter Blog

I was one of the many disappointed when Twitter pulled the UK SMS plug. At the time it was early days on my first generation iPhone and I was on a trip to Menorca with no data service of Wifi to be seen the only way I could get my regular fix of information was getting and sending SMS via Twitter. To sweeten the deal, all the SMS messages I got were at no cost to me. A definite bonus when faced with roaming charges.

While this announcement doesn’t effect me I do hope that it pushes O2 to make a similar agreement. I’ve mailed their customer services and had a reply but while they can make no comment I hope its now on their radar.

In addition to giving myself more things to think about than necessary I also took the plunge and updated WordPress. My theme hadn’t been compatible initially and I noted earlier today that they had recently updated it. It was relatively trouble free. The early versions of the theme didn’t properly support widgets so I has side bar modules installed and a WordPress widget disabler. It seems that its the exact opposite now as it works with widgets but the sidebar module plugin was a bit dead. In real terms it means that my random flickr pictures are now the latest in my photo stream and I’ve not replaced the counter that was ominously counting down to my 40th (which is on the 30th in case you want to send me presents, cash or alcohol).