“groovy mother...”

I'm not entirely sure I understand the point of Amazon's new "PayPhrase" system (How is this phrase and a PIN easier than entering my email + password, exactly?) But I am quite pleased with the phrase they let me use (after filtering out all my profane first attempts)

Setting up the Facebook app on Xbox Live.

Rather than the gorgeous OAuth flow used by the Netflix app for the last year (The Xbox displays a six-digit number, you visit the Netflix website on your PC, log-in and enter that number, Tada, everything's linked), the Facebook, Twitter and last.fm apps all require you to fiddle around, entering email addresses and passwords on an on-screen keyboard.

Oh, and remember not to change your password on those services, because you'll need to go through the dance again.

(Particularly like this: "If you can't enter the characters you need here, change your passwords on www.facebook.com")

The new Yelp iPhone app has snuck in a nifty "Augmented Reality" view. This shot is taken from out of the window at Slide.

This is the scene in the Where the Wild Things Are trailer that gets me most excited. For whatever reason -- the wolf outfit? the crown? the silhouette? -- it's the one the punches my memory and says "You love this book."

Can't wait to see what Eggers and Jonez produce.

Let's take a moment to celebrate Dustin "Petey" Pedroia, who won the 2008 AL MVP award today. For two years in the major leagues, this list of achievements from his Wikipedia page is damned impressive.

Shout out too to Youk, for coming in third in MVP voting.

The MLB's official iPhone app finally has pitch-by-pitch game tracking. Hooray! (This screenshot was taken while I was following the game at the Embarcadero BART station!)

About 10 lines of Python can now work out my physical location.

Next task, integrate this info into my blog. Task after that? A cool ambient location-setter idea I'm hatching.

I'm currently the 3rd search result on Google for "rod". Just pipped by a custom cars magazine and everyone's favourite MFY A-Rod, but trouncing pretend-Scot Rod Stewart.

(I also take 9 out of 10 slots for "Rod Begbie", which must annoy my doppelgangerly-nomenclatured Australian singer/songwriter and Scottish financial manager virtual brethren)

Two out of six isn't bad, I suppose.

(Captured from Daylife, a Google-News-on-steroids news aggregator.)

Just launched my rebuilt and redesigned blog. It's still a bit on the brittle side, but I'm really happy with it as a first step.