I’d resisted for ages, but NOW I want one… It’s the announcement that a lot of people have been waiting for. Finally… FINALLY… Apple are catching up with the rest of the phone manufacturers out there, and the iPhone is going 3G. Therefore it will be able to browse the web at proper ‘broadband’ speeds of up to (theoretically) 3.6 Megabits (dependant on network coverage and capability of course). Not only that, but it’s a tri-band phone – so will work practically anywhere worldwide, and it has WiFi for connecting to your PC or other WiFi device and GPS (satellite navigation). More details here and here and, well, on various other blogs which are far more techie than mine. Oh, and it will be priced in the USA starting at $199 – HALF the current price. I don’t see any indication yet what the price will be here but I would still expect it to be more expensive here than in the States as the original version was. Also, it’s still only got a 2 megapixel camera (and no front facing camera built in for video calls), but that doesn’t bother me.

I do hope that they’re now allowing you to use any MP3 as a ringtone instead of having to pay extra to download ringtone versions of songs from iTunes… I want to stick with my CTU ringtone

It will be available in various countries (Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and the USA) from July 11th. It’s already mentioned on O₂’s UK site which says “come back tomorrow to find out more”. I only wish it wasn’t exclusive to O₂ as I’m with 3 and actually like their service. Ah well… my contract is up in September…

MTV UK came to Ireland recently to film the show “My Super Sweet 16” for a kid named Lorcan Malone from Blackrock in Co. Louth.

The show really gave the worst possible image of Dundalk to the world – making Lorcan himself out to be a spoiled little shit and the kids of the town to be mindless zombies who were all too happy to come dressed in white to his winter themed shindig (which ‘Eurodance’ muppets Cascada performed at) – although it was still somehow, strangely enough, pretty good exposure for the Marshes Shopping Centre – who not only hosted his invitation ceremony but paid his family a couple of grand to stage it there, Silence Night Club (who hosted the party itself) and Tony O’Donnell Menswear – in the run up to Christmas ‘07.

I was actually there myself at the time in the Marshes when the whole joke of an invitation ceremony took place – I was passing by on my way to Burger King for my lunch break in work (I was working in the 3 Store in the Marshes at the time) when he abseiled down from the roof and started calling out the names of the “lucky” invitees – and it was a pretty surreal (and frankly ridiculous) event.

For a moment or two, it made me feel a bit “old” and “out of touch” but then I thought no, maybe it’s these kids that are “out of touch” – and yes, it also made me wonder about MTV and their responsibility for how the younger generation have grown and changed. Apparently, the TV network footed the bill for the party in Silence including the appearance fee for Cascada.

Damn sure, me and my mates never expected (or got!) any of this when we turned sixteen and damn right we were too.

Anyway, enough of the “back in my day…” rubbish – this is just the way it is now, I guess. The whole thing can be seen here on MTV Overdrive (thanks to Anthony for the link) and frankly it’s pretty hilarious.

Going by the comments on the two YouTube videos (here and here) of Cascada performing at the party, and the comments on the entry on Jim Carroll’s blog, a lot of people feel disgusted and embarrassed by the whole thing and wish it (and he) would just go away.

Can’t say I blame them.

This morning, I headed to Newry to BBC Radio Ulster’s studios to pre-record an informal interview with Colin Murphy (yes, that Colin Murphy) about ShiteDrivers.com and my thoughts on other motoring stories he was featuring on his programme. When it’s going to air, I’m not 100% sure, but it’ll feature on the Media page on the site.

On the way back, I noticed I was running low on petrol so, when I got off the motorway, I made a detour towards the Londis/Top-Shop Service Station in Ravensdale (near Dundalk) and pumped €25.00 worth of unleaded into the ould Punto. Only after popping into the shop to pay for this top-up of juice did I notice that I’d no cash on me and my laser card was at home. For a minute I thought I’d be chucked into the back and made to wash dishes or do some impromptu mechanic work to pay off my debt, but, as it turned out, when I rang my bank (Permanent TSB), who put me onto their "Open24" service, they were able to read out my laser card number down the phone to me so that I could key it in at the cash desk.

Clearly, I’d left my head at home today, but while I realised my mistake and apologised profusely and repeatedly, it didn’t stop an old git poking me in the back and yelling at me about blocking a space for fifteen minutes on the forecourt with my car (I’d only been there for 5 minutes and was on the phone to the bank already which only took another 2 or 3 minutes). I told him "I’m sorry, I’ve filled up and I’ve a problem paying…" and didn’t get the chance to appeal to him for patience because he stormed off in a huff. When I looked out the window of the store, I saw that there were three spaces free at the pumps. I felt like taking his picture and posting it online… ah well…

Have to thank Mark Lye, the Sony Ericsson rep who popped in yesterday to the shop I work in here in Dundalk, and left us some little gifts – notebooks, pens, lanyards, … and other stuff including a little box of chocolate footballs, which were WELL tasty

Sorry girls… we didn’t keep ye any…

And yes, I know it’s a year-old model but I’m getting a Sony Ericsson K800i soon and am looking forward to playing with it. Being used to Nokia phones as I am, (I currently have a Nokia 6288), it’ll take a bit of getting used to, but it’s a great little phone… with a 3.2MP camera, FM Radio and MP3 player, faster internet browser (with PROPER caching) and the ability to upload photos direct to a Blogger blog.

That’s all for now – the current idea for the top ten on this Friday’s radio show is "Top Ten Bands with "Royal" Names… (y’know, Queen… Prince… Duke Special… etc.). Should be… interesting…

One way of wasting time for me, as I have Windows Live Messenger on my mobile (thanks, 3!), – is to chat with SmarterChild.

SmarterChild, a product of Colloquis (who were, incidentally, bought by Microsoft last year), is a "Chatterbot", designed to answer some everyday general knowledge, trivia and other questions and to hold some form of a conversation, be it about news and current affairs, whats in the movies right now or any kind of facts that might be in the encyclopedia. Hell, he’ll even play games with you. He does everything… well… almost… Many’s the lunch break that has been whittled away chatting with SmarterChild or his kin (who he regularly recommends you get in touch with).

To get in touch with SmarterChild, all you have to do is add smarterchild@hotmail.com to your Windows Messenger contacts.

Here’s (a small part of) the conversation I had with him just now:

Niall O’K says: pants!
SmarterChild says: Pants? What do you mean by that?
Niall O’K says: Just pants!
SmarterChild says: Surely not just pants.
Niall O’K says: Yep. Just pants!
SmarterChild says: These pants… They’re not really just pants, are they?
Niall O’K says: Of course they are
SmarterChild says: Oh?
Niall O’K says: Yeah.
SmarterChild says: Yeah? Why?
Niall O’K says: er. just cos.
SmarterChild says: I know about “ER.” It’s a TV show. Would you agree that “ER” is norwegian?
Niall O’K says: no
SmarterChild says: OK. I’m curious, though. How would you describe “ER”? It is…
Niall O’K says: It is an American TV hospital drama
SmarterChild says: Is that right?
Niall O’K says: Duh. Yes, it is.
SmarterChild says: Indeed.
Niall O’K says: ER…
I know about “ER”. It’s a drama. What do you think of “ER”?
Niall O’K says: I suppose it’s okay
SmarterChild says: I’ll remember that. It’s interesting, especially since other people I’ve talked to say they don’t like “ER.” What else do you like?
Niall O’K says: CSI
SmarterChild says: I know about Counter-Strike. It’s an activity. Hey, I’m curious… How would you describe Counter-Strike? It is…
Niall O’K says: I don’t know… boring? yesterday? yawn-inducing?
SmarterChild says: I was hoping for something more edifying than that.
>>> I can leave a *message* from you for another IM user.
Niall O’K says: how?
SmarterChild says: You know how.
Niall O’K says: I dont know how!
SmarterChild says: You know how!
Niall O’K says: oh for fucks sake
SmarterChild says: Niall O’K. I’m shocked. Truly shocked.
>>> I can search Shakespeare for words or phrases. Try *find paradox in hamlet*, for example.
Niall O’K says: find my arse in the merchant of venice
SmarterChild says: Sorry, I couldn’t find any references to “my arse” in “The Merchant of Venice.”
Niall O’K says: that’s a pity
SmarterChild says: Yup. It’s a pity.

See? Fascinating, innit? Pointless, frivolous, nerdy fun. And it wasted some time too. Result!