I have been playing with Parallels 3 (www.parallels.com) this evening.
Before I could, I had a few problems.

Thankfully support from Parallels is really good, responsive and (scarily) friendly. First answer they gave worked perfect. Which was related to my having installed the Beta on my bootcamp partition and had not uninstalled it.

Anyway...

Parallels 3 is out, and it is terrific.
Got 3d Acceleration working, fired up Virtual Skipper and it worked great. Awesome, real games later shall be tested in the name of being thorough.

Weird thing that VMware released the Beta of Fusion on the same day as Parallels was released. Marketing decision or technical decision, you decide.

Lance

Okay, the rumour is that the DRM free tunes on iTunes+ are a bit...odd.
www.boingboing.net is where I heard the rumour, starting initially with the idea revelation that your account details are in the file.

The EFF is looking into it to find out whats in there.

Bit horrid that they (Apple) seemto have replaced DRM with embedding something in the files and havn't been open about it. The immediate suspicion is that the embedded data is to catch people sharing the files.

Maybe it's a "feature" to help you find your stolen music?
When the evil hackers break into your PC and steal your music, all you have to do is call Apple and they'll consult the computer and find your music for you? ;)

Or of course it could just be they are treating their CUSTOMERS (you know those people that keep them in nice cars and big houses) like criminals!

Apple, (and anyone listening) you can't stop it! If I want to steal your music I can and will. I have bought music from iTunes, why because it's quick, easy and convenient.
It takes me more time and effort than I can be bothered with to hit a torrent site, find the right files download them etc etc. I also feel it's not right. So I don't do it.

If you want us to buy your music, make sure it is priced right, it's easy to find and buy. Like the iTunes manages to do, it could be cheaper, it could do better at making it easier to buy.

I tell you what, buy a small company that knows what I listen to and is able to suggest music to me that I like. Hmmm... CBS/Last.fm anyone.

Lance

Okay, the normal complaint is that there is no UK tech scene, there is no UK silicon valley. Chris and I were talking about it when I was in Edinburgh. We talked about "Silicon Glen" or the lack of it.

At the office we've talked about the difficulty of selling new tech in the UK compared to the US. Basically, it feels like UK PLC. likes to be 101% sure a product works in their environment before they invest. So it's hard to profitably push technology here. In the US (argueably) they seem to look at a technology and decide it should work, then invest in trying it.

We (Chris and I) have been chatting about this and the UK tech scene and have been digging deeper. Last.FM is often about the only project people can mention.
But it is not true, there are in fact many many projects out there.

But how are they doing? What are they doing?

How do you find out?
(idea brewing...)

I am sitting out in the sunshine slowly updating www.judo4parents.com on a lovely Sunday afternoon/evening.

I have way too much on and weirdly not enough on. I have been wondering about this and thought I'd try and crystalise my thoughts in a blog post.

So...
I have way too many websites, all of which need some attention, some sharpening up and effort applied to them. But I'm not doing it and I am not sure why.

On my trip home from Edinburgh, I started reading a book called "The Beermat Entrepreneur" and it made me realise something. I think I am somewhere near the personality type for an entrepreneur. This being that I have loads of ideas and drive, but sometimes fail on the follow through!

I don't count myself as 100% entrepreneur (by the definition in the book), as I do display some of the traits of what the author calls "cornerstones". These are those people who need to be around an entrepreneur to make sure things get done.
Which to pat myself on the back I have the ability to do. I do keep some/most things ticking over. But if I am honest I suspect I am obeying that old saying of "If a job is worth doing, it;s worth doing half arsed!".

So...
If I am a entrepreneur (by personality at least), it might explain a lot, but where does it leave me? How do I get all these things in my head out and done? And done well?

One of the issues I think I have is that I lack "cornerstones", it became apparent when I was in Edinburgh that I have become very isolated in Hampshire. Meeting up with old friends including from probably my biggest entrepreneurial enterprise Capoeira Scotland reminds me at how much I probably do need people to keep me on target.

So...
Accepting these two ideas, that I am by nature an "entrepreneur" and that I lack "cornerstones", what do I do?

Answers on the back of a beermat please.

Lance