Ged Carroll

Category: shopping | 購物 | 쇼핑 | 買い物

Hi, welcome to the shopping page. There’s probably not as much here as there could be. But then I try and buy less but better stuff nowadays.

Shopping isn’t only about the transaction, but the experience. That’s what separates Selfridges or Lane Crawford from Amazon. I like the serendipity of a great retail experience.

Whether its rifling through secondhand records and discovering a gem, or trying a sample and buying something new – Amazon’s recommendations can’t give you the same feeling. It’s primal like foraging or hunting.

A retail experience is also a signifier of culture and history.

I remember experiencing a department store experience similar to what my parents would have known in 1960s Ireland. This was the far side of the world at the former Wing On department store in Cityplaza, Taikoo Shing. Hong Kong held norms and traditions that western Europe had moved away from. This was also signified in the focus on more formal business dress, even in the creative industries.

So you might find more about experience here rather than items purchased.

  • New MacBook Pro – some thoughts

    My old MacBook Pro, which had seen me through a lot of work had been starting to show its age, so I changed it out for a new model. The process has been challenging at times so I thought that I would write about the good, the bad and the weird parts of this experience.

    My new machine has taken a size bump to 15.4 inches. The largest MacBook I’ve had in the best part of ten years. The reason for the size bump was to try and retain a working days worth of battery life. From a size perspective the 13 inch machine suits me better but battery performance seems to be in retreat.

    Preparing the machine

    I had the opportunity to make a controlled move to the new machine, so I cleaned a lot of the data from the old computer. Trying to deal with as many duplicate files as possible.

    Once this process was done I used Apple’s migration tool. This moves across data effortlessly. I’ve done this a number of times since running MacOS X back in 2002. This had to be done over wi-fi as connecting the two machines via an ethernet cable would be problematic.

    Preparing the hardware

    I am a big fan of Incase’s hard shell that clips on to your laptop. It protects it from coffee smeared tables and the odd light prang. This is then covered in stickers like it has been bombed by a crack team of Japanese school children.

    Untitled

    So why do I have a sticker covered laptop? A good while ago I had a client at a major telecoms sector company try and swipe my laptop in front of my eyes.

    “Oh, I thought it was mine” they said whilst ignoring the Lenovo peeking out of their laptop bag.

    Opening the shell up I fit a TechPrivacy web cam privacy cover. They look very thin and are fragile during the fitting process, but once on your laptop work perfectly and don’t impede closing the laptop up fully.

    I use a torch to work out where the camera is and run FaceTime to check that I am not impeding the camera or the camera power light.

    These new Macs are known for their keyboards. They feel unresponsive to a touch typist like me and seem to be prone to the ingress of any foreign matter. Keyboards are horrible grotty things swimming in dead skin, hair folicles and food crumbs. I can’t do much to make the keyboard feel better, but I have fitted a MOSISO Keyboard Cover to provide a bit of protection.

    Finally, I topped this off with an Amazon Basics neoprene laptop sleeve. MacBook Pros are a hassle to repair, even with AppleCare+, the sleeve is a small investment.

    Powering up

    I have series of chargers including an in-car charger and airplane seat charger designed to work with American market airplanes that I have accumulated since my first Intel MacBook Pro back in 2006. Some of the cables have a silicon holder and MagSafe 2 connector attached.

    I have breathed a sigh of relief many times when my power cable has been snagged and not taken the laptop tumbling on to the floor with it. All of which are now useless given Apple’s move to USB-C. Unfortunately USB-C is not snag proof like the earlier MagSafe power connectors. Thankfully, I can still use the extension cables that I have. Apple doesn’t include them in the box with the laptop any more.

    Some third party designers have trialled products that mix the best of USB C with a MagSafe like connection. Apple’s current solution feels like a petty and backwards step.

    Making a connection

    I mentioned early on that I couldn’t do an ethernet-to-ethernet connection for the data migration to my new laptop. The problem is that the new MacBook Pro only has five connection points. Four of which are USB C and the fifth is a 3.5mm headphone socket.

    You need dongles for everything:

    SD Card reader – you need a dongle for that. Apple has one that it will sell you.

    USB connection, for when you want to connect your iPhone to your MacBook Pro…

    HDMI connector – Choetech’s product seems to be well made

    VGA connector – Amazon Basics have connector that’s relatively good value and seems to be as well made as it’s Apple cousin

    Thunderbolt 2 to USB C. Connecting to Thunderbolt 2 devices is a whole new world of pain. Apple’s own adaptor works inconsistently. Given that my home set up runs on two hubs connected to two Apple cinema displays all over Thunderbolt 2, this was critical for me to have work. In the end I found that StarTech’s adaptors whilst ugly, work a treat.

    This means that as a mobile worker going in and out of agency spaces like I’ve been doing, you need a few hundred pounds worth of add-on dongles and power cords to get anything done. My laptop starts to look like a white legged arthritic spider rather than the slick working machine I previously enjoyed.

    For mobile working, I’ve just started trying out a Pioneer Multiport adaptor that does VGA, ethernet, a single ethernet port and HDMI. It’s not particularly elegant but is also pretty cheap.

    A migration that hits the pocket and your time

    Migrating to the new MacBook Pro machine has been a major investment in peripheral hardware and a time suck in order to tune the set up to work properly. There has been much to say about good design.

    Good design (with a huge debt to Dieter Rams):

    • Is innovative (but doesn’t idolise innovation)
    • Makes a product useful (out of the box)
    • Is aesthetic (balance, good tastes and proportions)
    • Makes a product understandable (it just works)
    • Is unobtrusive (doesn’t call attention to itself in operation)
    • Is honest
    • Is long-lasting (consumption is an experience of layers with new and old products in a user journey)
    • Is thorough down to the last detail (and delights the user with that level of thought)
    • Is environmentally friendly (not wasteful, designed for the long haul, user serviceable)
    • Involves as little design as possible (Economy of experience, for instance not having a laptop’s ports hidden behind doors. it just is. This is as much about the metaphysics of quality intrinsic in the product as anything else)
    • Is knowing when to say no (or yes) – not having an FM radio on the iPhone or iPod. But having ports people would actually use on the new MacBook Pro
    • Is function first, form second (a build on making a product useful first, then aesthetically pleasing)

    The MacBook Pro fails on many of these attributes.

  • Robots demoralise coworkers

    Faster Robots Demoralise Coworkers | Careers | Communications of the ACM – If you get the pace wrong would the effect of robots demoralise coworkers limit productivity? Is the future not robots augmenting coworkers, but replacing coworkers a more productive alternative. A Cornell-led team has found that when robots are beating humans in contests for cash prizes, people consider themselves less competent and expend slightly less effort—and they tend to dislike the robots – to be fair I’d expect to see something similar if the same person kept winning employee of the week. I know that workers on the line at Vauxhall in Ellesmere Port used to sabotage the robots on the line on a regular basis. This might phenomenon of robots demoralise coworkers be part of their motivation (along with laziness and malice)

    Flickr Cofounder Questions Tech’s Impact on Humans – WIRED – it’s easier to ask the big questions when you’ve made it and can reflect in the tech industry. These weren’t questions that we asked back in the day. More on Caterina Fake here.

    Marbridge Consulting – China’s February 2019 Domestic Handset Shipments Down 20% YoY – 14.51 mln mobile handsets were shipped in China in February 2019, down 19.9% YoY and 57.4% MoM, according to new figures released by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT), a department of China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). The significant month-on-month drop can be explained in part by the week-long Chinese Lunar New Year holiday towards the beginning of February. Of total shipments in February, 13.98 mln were 4G handsets, down 20.2% YoY, 37,000 were 3G handsets, and 0.49 mln were 2G handsets

    A Witch-Hunt on Instagram | Quilette – western PC culture seems to have more and more cases of it eating their own

    Aging Millennials Soothe Themselves With Childlike Fashions – WWD – to try and hang on to youth. The attenuation of youthfulness is a cross generational phenomenon. For instance middle aged dads the still buy streetwear rather than Superdry, skate and go to gigs.

    SXSW 2019: Virtual Cinema – JWT Intelligence – culture is still trying to adapt AR and VR. Whilst it has the energy of an early SIGGRAPH demo reel, I still think the storytelling aspect of things is struggling to find its legs

    Patrick Pruniaux: “There Truly is an E-commerce Potential for Horology” | Luxury Society – Kering haven’t been particularly good at using Ulysse Nardin as a brand in China, but they are rectifying it now. Kering are looking to tap into ‘new’ watch consumers who can’t spend Rolex money on a watch, this position now looks more tenable since Apple has stopped going for the luxury sector with the Apple Watch

    How to Create an Authentic Luxury Experience for Millennials | Jing Daily – if a luxury brand wants to entice today’s consumers, whether it’s in China or beyond, it needs to underscore its authenticity and relevancy. Powerful words, to be sure, but what does it mean to be authentic and relevant? For the moment, let’s start with the opposite. During many of my brand strategy sessions, I often hear the expression “they feel staged” when people describe brands that they would never buy. Needless to say, when brand feels staged, it is neither authentic nor relevant. The synonyms unnatural, deceived, cheated, and faked come to mind. In other words, a staged brand is bullshitt*ng their consumers.

    Louis Vuitton Has a Michael Jackson Problem | Intelligence | BoF – LVMH invested significantly in Virgil Abloh to elevate its menswear line. However, the potential failure of Abloh’s Michael Jackson-inspired collection—whether due to pulled items or lack of consumer interest—is unlikely to significantly impact Louis Vuitton’s overall revenue, as men’s ready-to-wear is a small part of their business. The real concern for Louis Vuitton is protecting its brand reputation, which remains strong unlike some competitors who have faced recent social media backlash. This is especially crucial now, as consumers are quick to criticize any perceived missteps.

    How What Goes Around Comes Around Is Attracting Millennials To Buy Vintage – US chain channels aesthetic of Japanese vintage shops

    You May Have Forgotten Foursquare, but It Didn’t Forget You | WIRED – interesting how Foursquare went from being useful (I use it as spatial bookmarking, so that I can return to new places that I like) to where 2.0 middleware with a bit of ad tech creepiness thrown in for good measure (paywall)

    Pinterest Files for an IPO: What Investors Need to Know | The Motley Fool – interesting for intent driven visual search if they can monetise it effectively on a global scale

    Great video of a Black Hat conference presentation on biometric identifiers.

  • ICYMI | 당신이 그것을 놓친 경우에 대비해서

    UK tariff plans to limit no-deal Brexit damage | Financial Times – the system would mean that products brought into Northern Ireland across the land border would not have any tariffs imposed. But many products shipped across the Irish Sea from Ireland to Wales or England would have tariffs slapped on them. Officials acknowledged that this could be vulnerable to abuse by the unscrupulous. One official played down the idea that smugglers could bring European cars or other expensive goods across the land border — and then into England — to escape tariffs. “That’s the kind of thing we would be monitoring closely,” he said. – interesting UK tariff plans that will be painful for UK industry (paywall)

    Lazada is livestreaming its birthday concert – directly on its app | Techinasia – over a decade after Tokyo Girls Collection

    President Trump’s Twitter feed: Can you really target an ad at him? | Slate – interesting. I used to do the same thing for UN and EU policy campaigns a decade ago

    China’s economy is 12% smaller than official data say, study finds | Financial Times – (Paywall)

    Hands over Siena: How Russian oil is buying the Tuscan city – La Stampa – interesting reading and a warning for UK property

    Facebook sues Ukrainian app developers for scraping user data – SiliconANGLE – Facebook sues Ukranians for ideas that they wished they had thought of

    Over 50s perceptions of post-Brexit changes | Yahoo! Finance – guess they will be in for a shock to be blamed on Europe

    Chinese Tourism Boom That Propped Up Luxury Brands Is Faltering | News & Analysis | BoF – Luxury brands have gained a lot of traction and growth out of China, but the bloom is off the rose

    AI Cameras That Can Spot Shoplifters Even Before They Steal – Bloomberg – pre-crime made real

    Microsoft Band and Health Dashboard Kill-Off Suggests Platform IoT Focus | ProgrammableWeb
    – it makes sense in the face of the Apple Watch

  • PopSlate failure

    PopSlate

    I’ve go in involved in a few crowdfunded products and some of them have worked out but the majority haven’t. The latest example was the high profile e-ink phone cover PopSlate. PopSlate got over $1 million dollars of funding and was widely covered by the media.

    “popSLATE 2 is E-Ink for your iPhone done right.” – Slashgear

    “It’s an evolution, not merely refinement.” – Wired

    Why crowdsourced projects fail?

    Generally I’ve found that crowdfunded projects like PopSlate tend to fail for three (non-criminal) reasons:

    • They underestimated the cost or complexity for batch manufacture of items. They have problems with getting tooling moulds to work and have to go through iterations that burn up cash
    • They get gazzumped; their product is sufficiently easy to make that Chinese manufacturers who go through Indiegogo and Kickstarter for ideas get the product into market faster
    • The engineering is just too hard. This seems to have been the problem for PopSlate who couldn’t innovate and get their product into market as fast as new phones came out

    On the face of it, the PopSlate is a great idea. Bringing the kind of dual screen technology to the iPhone that had been in the Yota phone for a number of years. Huawei had a similar snap-on e-ink back available for the the P9 handset in limited quantities.

    popSLATE – The smart second screen on the back of your phone

    PopSlate had already launched a mark I version of their product.  With the mark II version of their product PopSlate tried to do too much: they tried to make it a battery case but still ridiculously thin.  The following email was sent out on Saturday morning UK time:

    Critical Company Update

    This update provides serious and unwelcome news.

    Based upon your support, we have spent the last year continuing to develop our vision for “always-on” mobile solutions. Our goal was to solve three fundamental issues with today’s smartphones: we wanted to simplify access to information, increase battery performance, and improve readability. Unfortunately, the significant development hurdles that we have encountered have completely depleted our finances, and we have been unable to raise additional funds in the current market. As a result, popSLATE does not have a viable business path forward.

    This marks the end of a 5-year journey for our team, which started with a seed of an idea in 2012 and led to our quitting our jobs to start the company. Although we are very disappointed by the ultimate outcome and its implications for you as our backers, we are proud of our team, who worked tirelessly over the years to commercialize the first plastic ePaper display, globally ship thousands of popSLATE 1 devices as a first-in-category product, and re-imagine & further extend the platform with the second generation product. Despite a strong vision, high hopes, and very hard work, we find ourselves at the end of the journey.

    We are out of money at this juncture for two key reasons. First, we have spent heavily into extensive development and preparation for manufacturing;  as you are aware, we hit some critical issues that multiplied the required spend, as described in previous updates.

    Most recently, we learned that the fix for the Apple OTA issues would involve more significant redesign. While we initially suspected that the Lightning circuit was the culprit, it turned out that it was a much more fundamental issue.  Namely, our housing material is not compatible with Apple OTA requirements. You may think, “Wait, isn’t it just plastic?  Why would that be a problem?” While the housing is indeed largely plastic, we used a very special custom blend of materials that included glass fibers. The glass fibers were used to solve two issues, both of which were related to making the device super-thin: a) they enabled uniform, non-distortional cooling of the housing mold around our metal stiffener plate (the key component that makes popSLATE 2 thin but very strong) and b) they added tensile strength to the very compact form factor. Unfortunately, we have concluded that these added fibers are attenuating the RF signal and that we would have to spend additional cycles to tune a new blend with required modifications to the tooling. This is an expensive and timely process.

    Second, we have been unsuccessful at raising additional financing, despite having vigorously pursued all available avenues since the close of our March Indiegogo campaign (including angels, VCs, Shark Tank and equity crowdfunding, both in the US and abroad). Many in our network of fellow hardware innovators have encountered this difficult new reality. You may have also seen the very public financial struggles of big-name consumer hardware companies—GoPro, Fitbit, Pebble, Nest and others—as highlighted in this recent New York Times article [link]. The most dramatic example of this phenomenon is the recent and sudden shutting down of Pebble, paragon of past crowdfunding success.

    There is no way to sugarcoat what this all means:

    • popSLATE has entered into the legal process for dissolution of the company
    • Your popSLATE 2 will not be fulfilled
    • There is no money available for refunds
    • This will be our final update

    While this is a very tough moment professionally and emotionally for us, it is obviously extremely disappointing for all of you who had believed in the popSLATE vision. Many of you have been with us since the March campaign, and a smaller set helped found the popSLATE community back in 2012. To you—our family, friends, and other unwavering backers—we are incredibly grateful for your enthusiasm, ideas, and support throughout the years. Just as importantly,  we deeply regret letting you down and not being able to deliver on our promise to you. We truly wish there were a viable path forward for product fulfillment and the broader popSLATE vision, but sadly we have exhausted all available options.

    Sincerely yours,
    Yashar & Greg
    Co-founders, popSLATE

    The problem as a consumer you have for much of these gadget is this:

    • If a product can be easily made in Shenzhen, it will be so you should be able to get it cheaper on lightinthebox or similar sites
    • If it can’t be turned out in a reasonable time, it has a low likelihood of succeeding

    There have been successes of more hobby-based products; I have a replica of Roland’s TB-303 synthesiser. It’s the kind of product that can be assembled whilst not relying a China-based supply chain. It also is based on well understood technology and there weren’t issues of with designing for very tight places or Apple’s requirements (in the case of iPhone’s accessories).

    What about the poster child of Pebble? Pebble managed to go for longer with a sophisticated product but couldn’t withstand the gravity of declining sales in the wearables sector. More related content here.

  • Living with the Casio G-Shock GWF-D1000 Frogman

    UPDATE – Casio G-Shock GWF-D1000 sudden stopped working and took on water  when I washed some curtains in a basin. Which is a bit much for such an expensive model that is well-known for its reputed toughness and 200M water resistance. Certainly not what you expect from a watch brand known for its toughness and having a current street price of £800. You can see the water inside the glass on the watch face and no apparent point of ingress. It’s not that long out of warranty as well. Casio have replaced it as it was just within warranty; but think carefully before purchasing one. 

    Casio G-Shock Frogman GWF-D1000 defeated by hand washing clothes in a basin. Redefines toughness and 200M water resistance. Just out of warranty

    When you typically look at reviews of products, there are usually reviewed over a short time when they are new-and-shiny. Often a products features and character come out over time – a symbiotic process between product and user.

    I picked up a Casio G-Shock GWF-D1000 soon after it went on sale for considerably less than the £800 that it is the current street price. Up until I bought the Casio G-Shock GWF-D1000; I had owned its predecessor the GWF-1000 (which I will call the 1000 from here on in).

    So what is the GWF-D1000 anyway?

    The Casio G-Shock GWF-D1000 is the latest in an a series of G-Shock watches aimed at scuba divers. The first Frogman came out in 1993. The overall design has largely been the same with an asymmetric case and a large display to make operation easier. The positioning of the watches and price points changed over time – some of the previous models had titanium cases and came under the Mr-G sub-brand. The last few models have a stainless steel core case with a DLC (diamond like coating) to protect the surface.

    Over time it has picked up features as the technology improved. It became illuminated by a small green bulb, then electro-luminescent material. It moved from relying purely on battery power to having solar cells and a rechargeable battery. The watch became more accurate by picking up time signals via radio from six locations around the world that are calibrated with an atomic clock (precursors to the NTP services around the world that keep your computer and smartphone bang on time.)

    The key technology gains over the 1000 include:

    • A dive computer rather than a dive timer (neither matter to me), it has the same basic functionality that dive computers used to have 20 years ago (minus PC connectivity). No big shakes until you remember that it is doing this all from a solar-powered rechargeable watch battery
    • Digital compass which is surprisingly handy, it is very forgiving of the way you hold it, expect this in other Casio watches soon.
    • Temperature reading (again more for the diver) or when you are running a bath
    • The display has been rearranged and a bit easier to read
    • Much better display light and crisper to read at night

    The real benefits for me were in the build quality:

    • You get a sapphire crystal rather than the usual hardened mineral glass. This isn’t the first time that Casio has used a sapphire crystal on a watch, but they are harder to manufacture and more expensive than the usual mineral glass face
    • The manner in which the strap is secured to the case has been completely revised. There is are new Allen key screws and a carbon fibre rod to secure the strap to the case
    • The strap is made of polyurethane resin reinforced with carbon fibre. The loop that holds the excess strap length is now a section of stainless steel which has been bent around the strap

    How do I use it?

    It makes sense to tell a little bit around why I wear a Frogman. I want an accurate watch (who doesn’t?). I want a reliable watch (again, probably a hygiene factor for most people; but one that hints at why the G-Shock has replaced Rolex as the default watch I have seen on Hong Kongers over the past 10 years or so. G-Shock offers robustness that 20 years ago would have come from fine Swiss engineering – at a much lower price point.

    I love my Swiss dive watches but there is a time and place for everything.  The knockabout case and its water resistance means that you can forget about the watch. You don’t have to coddle it or worry that it will pick up undue attention. You don’t have to worry if you get a bang on an elevator (lift) door, dropped on the bathroom floor or going for a swim.

    The G-Shock is an everyman watch – unless its got a lurid colour scheme it isn’t likely to attract the attention of your average petty criminal. I’ve often taken it off in the office so that I can type in greater comfort and left it there by accident when going home. I’ve never had a G-Shock go missing.

    It is relatively easy to use, despite the modal nature of its interface design. To change settings, use functions or see recorded information you have to cycle through a series of text menus – it has more in common with a 1980s vintage video cassette recorder or a DEC VAX. Quite how this goes down with consumers more used to iPads and SnapChat is interesting. Casio seems to do alright by attracting them with bright plastic cases reminiscent of Lego -based colour schemes.

    I haven’t dived seriously in a long time, I took up scuba diving while working in the oil industry and have never got back into it since moving to London.  PADI diving at resorts is tame compared to British diving club scene I had been used to.

    My work environment is creative which means that my uniform of t-shirts, flannel shirts,  jeans and suede hiking boots make the G-Shock an ideal accessory. I work in the London office of an American digital marketing agency, owned by a French multinational and my clients are scattered in the different offices around the world of pharmaceutical companies. The functions I tend to use most are the world time, date/time and the night light. My iPhone is now my alarm clock.

    The reality is that most of these watches will end up on the wrists of people like me rather than people who dive for a living.

    What’s it like to live to live with the D1000

    The Casio G-Shock GWF-D1000 is only incrementally heavier than the 1000, it felt a bit strange to wear for about 30 minutes after swapping over to the newer model. But in some ways the Casio G-ShockGWF-D1000 doesn’t yet feel like its my watch.

    The 1000 strap became shiny in places over time and more pliable, it felt like it became adjusted to me. Give the Casio G-Shock GWF-D1000 a rub over and it still looks box fresh. The downside is that the strap feels stiff and I still feel its edges on occasion – this isn’t about discomfort, but about the watch not feeling like part of you. There are no shiny parts of wear – it feels less like a ‘personal item”. It lacks what a designer friend calls authenticity; unlike distressed jeans, customised flight jackets or combat Zippos.

    Zippo Lighters

    This sounds great for the resale value, but I feel that it provides a worse experience for the wearer of the watch.

    The reinforced strap does have one bonus, it holds securely to the case. Look at these pictures of my two year old 1000

    Casio GWF 1000 Frogman

    You can see how the retaining screw that held the strap to the case came undone and disappeared over time. You don’t have these kind of problems with the Casio G-Shock GWF-D1000.

    The screen on the Casio G-Shock GWF-D1000 uses its real estate in a different way to the 1000.

    Here is the 1000

    Casio GWF 1000 Frogman

    Here is the Casio G-Shock GWF-D1000

    Casio GWF D1000 Frogman

    At first the differences aren’t obvious. If you look at the top right side of the screen, the tide and moon segments are replaced by a multi-use screen on the Casio G-Shock GWF-D1000. The small icons for alarms and hourly alerts are moved to the bottom and left of the screen on the Casio G-Shock GWF-D1000, the moon icon now moves to the left of the main screen down from the top right. This probably marginally increases the screen real estate and helps make legibility a bit clearer at night.

    GWF 1000

    The biggest 1000 feature that I miss is the ability to toggle with one press of the top left button from showing the date on the screen to showing a second time zone; it was extremely handy for work. And having come from the 1000 to the Casio GWF-D1000 it was a real ‘what the fuck’ moment.

    By comparison I have to press six times to get to the world time screen. Instead, it now toggles between a tide table and the day. Even giving it a two press option would be a better fix than what the Casio GWF-D1000 currently has. It’s a small gripe, but it annoyed the heck out of me.

    My work around has been to keep the watch in world time mode and if I need to know the day or date, I find myself reaching for my iPhone.

    If you are really that worried about tide tables, you will be likely using a specialist service as they vary a good deal over relatively short distances.

    If the Casio G-Shock GWF-D1000 still sounds like the kind of watch you want, you can get it here.

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