Posts by Mr Marcus

Watch it Apple: time has come for cheaper rivals' strap-ons

Not the end of the world

Definitely not a fan of Apple here (my experience with their software - iTunes, QuickTime, Safari - has left me baffled as to why people c like their stuff) and I've always thought that their claims of innovation were massively inflated. However, their form factor is second to none and I believe that this is the basis of their success. Tablets have been around for ages but Apple waited until the technology allowed them to put it in a great-looking package. Same with the touch screen phone. And I loved my iPod Classic (and still do).

So the iWatch is just wrong in my opinion. It's clunky and particularly ugly compared to standard mechanical watches that FL for the same price. There are no killer features and it has to be recharged daily. In my opinion Apple simply haven't waited until technology can match it's ambitions.

I doubt Apple are too worried. One disappointing quarter does not equal a trend. And every other company in the world would be delighted with a quarter as 'bad' as this one. They have more money than Croessus, a rabidly loyal customer base and plenty of time to come up with their next 'magical' device.

Indian Capital Delhi bans Uber's surge pricing

Uber v Rickshaws

I've generally found the regular taxis and rickshaws in Mumbai to provide good services (outside the tourist areas, at least). They put the meter on without having to be told, normally know where they are going and are available at all hours. There's a good supply to meet the demand, despite the local political party's best efforts to prevent immigrants from plying their trade. I feel sorry for them having to compete with Uber's unregulated competition.

I have no sympathy for their colleagues outside Mumbai. In Delhi, for instance, it's a nightmare trying to catch a cab. If you're lucky then you'll find a driver who wants to go in the same direction as you. But even then, forget about going on the meter - they'll rip you off hopelessly in the negotiations. Uber has been a godsend.

Arvind Kejriwal and his predecessors have done sweet FA about dealing with this, so it's a bit rich of them to go after Uber on this issue. The traffic in India's mega-cities is dreadful on even the best days. If you want drivers to go out during monsoon and festival days then surge pricing will be essential to meeting demand. Competing companies should create a natural market with pricing determined by supply and demand.

This is typical stuff from Kejriwal. He's a child, throwing tantrums when things don't go guess way. He's not stupid and must surely understand the economics underpinning surge pricing, but he's also a populist who relies on gimmicks and getting into the headlines rather than results. He's actually one of the better politicians around here.

Re: Late delivery

"You call an ambulance."

Yeah... You've not seen Indian traffic have you...

Fallout: New Vegas

75% - I'm not coming from an objective viewpoint

A lot of the criticisms mentioned here were valid for Fallout 3; bugs caused it to crash from time to time and the character animation was awful, particularly given the generally great graphics of the landscaps and buildings. (Hopefully Bethesda's buy-out of ID will fix the animation quality for Fallout 4 or whatever they do next)

The problems didn't stop me loving it though and I lost countless hours to the game. So I'm not coming at this at all from an objective point of view, or as someone who has followed Fallout from its inception. I just want to know whether New Vegas will appeal to someone who enjoyed Fallout 3 and is hungry for more of the same in a different setting with different characters. Going off the comments so far, this sounds like one for the Christmas list!

Oh, and I didn't notice anything in the review about the soundtrack. The 40's sound track in Fallout 3 was surprising and surprisingly catchy. I had Cole Porter and Roy Brown songs going through my head for days afterwards.

Flames for... well... nuclear apocalypse obviously (where's the mushroom cloud icon?)