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T-Mobile offers great deal for US visitors

Mike Evans — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 20:03:51 +0000

Telcos can dress up a mast to look vaguely like a tree but they cannot disguise the punitive roaming charges in the USA (this artistic creation snapped in Silver Spring, MD)

Getting a short-term SIM card for use in the USA has always been a bugbear for visitors. Over the past two years I have had quick and efficient service from T-Mobile but have had to pay over $40 for a one-month deal, plus the cost of the card.

Now the company has introduced a really great deal that is ideal for visitors. For a very reasonable $3 a day you get unlimited nationwide voice calls, unlimited texts and unlimited data, with the first 200MB at 4G speeds. I had to check this twice because it looked far too good to be true. But it is true.

You can choose how many days you wish to pay for upfront and can top up at any time. My stay in Washington was seven days so I paid $21 plus a one-off charge of $10 for the SIM card. For unlimited everything, including 1.4GB of 4G data, this has to be the telecom deal of the year.

What's more, it is all quick and easy. Just call in at any T-Mobile store and you are set up within minutes, no form filling, no ID. It really couldn't be simpler.

In contrast, this is the message I got from Vodafone when I switched off airplane mode at Washington Dulles:

Welcome to the USA. Calls cost 135p/m to make and 100p/m to receive. Texts 35p + your home rate & pic msg 37p. For your £5 a day you have 25MB of mobile internet, then it's £3/MB.

I imagine there are suckers who think this is a good deal. For the rest of us, though, it's better to leave roaming switched off and head to the nearest T-Mobile store. Calling home is no problem because, with unlimited data, it is easy enough to use Viber, Tango or similar VOIP services without charge. I even hotspotted my iPad mini to the iPhone and had uninterruped cellular coverage throughout the week on all my devices. It would have worked with the MacBook Air if I had needed to carry it around.

If you are about to visit the USA, the deal I purchased is called the "$3 Daily UK Tlk Txt Wb (200MB 4G)" plan.

Is this the next mini Leica?

Mike Evans — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 19:11:16 +0000

Panasonic's new LF1 is a canditate for Leicaisation. Read more on MacFilos Photo.

Touch control is better on Air than on touch PC

Mike Evans — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 14:41:45 +0000

Could Apple's pad offer a better touch-computing experience than screen-based Windows 8? James Kendrick thinks so

I have never been convinced by the idea of a touch-screen laptop. Even though I sometimes find myself prodding the screen of my MacBook Air immediately after a session with the iPad mini, the ergomonics of touching a near-vertical screen are appalling. As ZDNet points out in this article, Apple has perfected touch control on its latest MacBook Airs. The only difference is that manipulation is achieved by using the trackpad instead of by moving your hands from the keyboard in order to use the screen. Author James Kendrick says:

The MacBook Air recently released is a laptop that sets the bar for the genre. Even with all that Apple has accomplished with the new laptop, a common complaint is the lack of a touch screen. The support for touch screens in Windows 8 is creating an expectation that laptops need to have them. The fact is that OS X handles multi-touch on a trackpad better than Windows 8 does on a touch screen.

New MacBook Air: First hands on

Mike Evans — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 14:29:05 +0000

My host, Ralf Meier, here in DC was quick off the mark when the new Air was announced last Monday. I went with him to the Montgomery Mall Apple store to see if a high-end version was in stock. We emerged with a 1.7GHz 13in model specced out with 8GB of memory and a 512GB SSD. This is serious computing in a tiny package.

Since then I have had the opportunity to compare the new Air with my travelling 11in model, a late 2012 5,1 version with 2GHz processor, 256GB disk and 8GB memory. This is no slouch, of course, but the new Air is subjectively much faster, particularly in startup and disk access and especially when processing RAW photo files.

Visually there is no difference between the two models (size excepted) but the 13in model appears to be an ideal all-round computer and would make a perfect travel device. One thing is clear: The dividing line between the Airs and the MacBook Pros has become less visible. The 13in Air offers 90% of the computing power and experience and loses out only in terms of display. With a retina display, choosing the Air would be a no brainer.

From digital to analogue: Mr. Trainphilos himself, Ralf Meier, with his garden railroad in north-west Washington, DC.

See Apple Builds the Ultimate Coffee Shop Computer: The Verge

Eight years with Apple, Macs and iOS

Mike Evans — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 08:42:00 +0000

Eight years ago today I bought my first Mac. It was a £299 Mini and I decided to get it for experimental purposes because it was relatively inexpensive and I could use my existing monitor and keyboard. I fully expected to have to put it on eBay within a week or two. Instead, before the week was out, I had decided that Macs were for me. It wasn’t long before I was back in the Regent Street Apple Store to buy a new PowerBook G4. I soon transferred everything over from my old PC and really haven’t looked back. In terms of productivity and peace of mind it is one of the best steps I have ever taken.

Things were a lot different back then. Apple was a niche computer manufacturer, despite the success of the iPod in widening the appeal of the brand. There was very little software choice and a Windows switcher had to be prepared to make compromises. Microsoft was the big bad wolf of the computing world and everyone seemed to be gunning for poor Bill Gates and his domination of the field. Now roles have been reversed and it is Apple that is king of the heap and coming in for barbs from every direction.

Never never phone

In 2005 the iPhone was still two years away. I remember opening an Apple discussion thread on the need for a phone that would synchronise seamlessly with my new Macs. I was still running a Compaq PDA before moving to a Palm Treo. Synchronisation of contacts, calendar and notes was a nightmare, thoroughly unreliable. There was no cloud, of course, and everything had to be done by cable after returning home. On the Apple discussion board I was shot down in flames: Apple would never, ever, definitely never make a phone. It was totally out of the question.

Two years later it was the iPhone that set in motion the great rivival in Apple’s fortunes. The new phone was a wonderful ambassador for Apple and brought millions into the Mac fold after they found out just how easy it was to cope with a touch-screen device. When it came time to buy a new computer they headed to the Apple Store where the standard of service and staff knowledge was far ahead of anything they had previously experienced in the Windows world. The iPhone also paved the way for the iPad. Because of the millions of iPhone users out there, Apple had a ready-made market for the new tablet.

Apple's Eco-system

It isn’t just Apple’s products that impress. The eco-system, which started in a modest way with Dot Mac and then Mobile Me, has turned into a unique selling point for the Apple brand. Many owners of Apple devices have now invested hundreds of pounds in applications and they find themselves firmly glued to Cupertino’s flypaper. It’s a painful experience to change to another system and no other platform offers the sort of integration you find between iOS devices and Macs. After eight years of owning Macs and five years writing regularly for MacFilos I cannot imagine moving back to Windows or adopting Android. Other systems impress from time to time: I like the large-screen Samsung phones and only yesterday I was seduced briefly by a Surface Pro tabley in the Microsoft store at Pentagon City. But in the cool of the evening I always return to the fold because I value ease of use and the productivity that comes from having a reliable cloud system.

Apple isn’t without faults and its products are sometimes outclassed (for a time) in individual aspects. But if you look at the whole, the excellent products and the eco-system, owning an Apple device is a comfortable, satisfying and safe option. So tonight, the start of year nine, I shall raise a glass of wine to Apple.

First look at Leica's X Vario

Mike Evans — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 15:59:10 +0000

My first hands on with the Leica X Vario. Read further here

Belkin Thunderbolt Dock power supply problem

Mike Evans — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 11:50:59 +0000

Since installing the Belkin Thunderbolt Express dock on Tuesday I have detected what could be a power supply problem leading to random ejection of connected disk drives. I have outlined the situation in an addendom to my earlier post on the dock. In a nutshell, the dock seems to have problems when connected to a 110-volt supply which are cured when it is attached to 220 volts.

Thunderbolt Display: Past its shelf life

Mike Evans — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 20:21:58 +0000

Among the many Apple products not mentioned at Monday's Keynote were external displays. The current 27in Thunderbolt Cinema Display is past its shelf life primarily because it offers only USB 2 sockets. It is no longer, as Apple claim in the online store, "the ultimate docking station." I am in the market for an upgrade because my existing 24in display is now over five years old. It is still working perfectly but it is pre-Thunderbolt. However, I am not about to get out my credit card and give Apple £899 for a device that I am convinced will be updated soon.

With the new Mac Pro arriving later this year there will be a real need for a complementary external display. I feel sure Apple will not ship the Mac Pro until they have a display they can be proud of, one that can indeed be described as the ultimate dock.

At the very least, I expect a new 27in display, thin like the current iMacs and with USB 3.0 sockets. But, with renewed emphasis on the Pro and the demand for multi-screen computing, it would not be surprising to see the size increased to 30in with, perhaps, a reintroduction of the older 24in size at a cheaper price.

If we are lucky, though, the new Cinema Display could feature a 4K display. It would be much more expensive than the existing model so I imagine Apple would continue to list a lower-resolution device at the same £899 price as the current screen.

If you are about to buy a Cinema Display, it's a good idea to hold off until the end of summer.

Belkin Thunderbolt Dock: Up and running

Mike Evans — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 19:25:10 +0000

Well over a year after I first read reports of a mythical Thunderbolt dock from Belkin I have now laid hands on the beast. Exactly as described when I announced it was shipping on May 10, the $300 device has an impressive complement of ports. It is connected at the moment to my MacBook Air by a single Thunderbolt cable and offers Ethernet and Firewire ports, a second Thunderbolt socket, three USB 3.0 connections and speaker and microphone jackplugs.

The device is surprisingly big: 9.25in long, 5in deep (plus the various connection plugs protruding) and 1.25in tall. So it isn't going to be unobtrusive on your desk. On the other hand, the silver finish complements and Mac and the build quality appears to be good, so it will look the business despite being so large. In fact, this device looks more Apple than Belkin. Apart from the rather bulky hub, the power unit is gigantic brick measuring 6in by 2.25in but at least that can be hidden under the desk.

I have high hopes that this will solve the myriad of cables attached to my desk-top MacBook Pro; it will certainly make docking a lot easier. I will report further if there are any issues arising after use.

PROBLEM UPDATE: After a problem-free day I noticed that the disks attached to the Belkin dock would systematically unmount, accompanied by the usual OS X advice to eject before unmounting. I have seen this behaviour before when USB hubs are insufficiently powered. However, with the Belkin simply unplugging the power suppy and reconnecting enabled the disks to reconnect and all would be well for several hours. When powered up, the dock became warm but not hot, although I suspected overheating or an inadequate power supply (despite the enormous power brick). After speaking with Belkin's technical support (the person I spoke to had no knowledge of the Thunderbolt Express Dock and was not particularly helpful), I tried connecting the hub to a different power socket, this time a mains outlet rather than an extension lead. There was no improvement and the disks would disconnect after a few hours.

Finally, because my hosts here in DC have a 220-volt circuit in their kitchen, I carried the whole set up, computer, hub and cables, downstairs and plugged the dock in to the high-voltage supply. After 14 hours the unit is still working perfectly, the disks have remained mounted and, interestingly, the Belkin has stayed cool, significantly cooler than when it was running on the standard 110-volt supply. I have no explanation for this. I suppose it could be that the China-made products were tested on 220 or 240 volts and I have one of the first examples delivered in the USA. Since I shall be using the hub on 240 volts in the future I am hoping it will remain trouble free. I thought I would detail this problem in case anyone has the same difficulty.

UPDATE: After a day on 220 volts the Thunderbolt Dock was reconnected to the standard 110 volts and has now been running for two days and connected disks, including a Thunderbolt disk, have remained connected. The top of the hub is definitely warmer with the 110-volt supply than when running on 220 volts. Experts will probably say this is impossible. Again, I have no explanation for this and I am merely reporting on the facts.

LIKELY SOLUTION : I think I have now got to the bottom of this little problem. Before setting up the Thunderbolt Dock I had visited a local Apple store and purchased a Belkin iPhone dock. I connected this, loaded with the iPhone, to the Thunderbolt Dock for charging purposes. Following the problems of disconnecting disks and the experiment with 220 volts, I did not reconnect the phone and, as outlined above, all was well. I have just reconnected the phone to the Thunderbolt Dock and put it on charge. Within 15 minutes the disks began ejecting. The problem therefore appears to be with attempting to charge devices via the dock, which is something most people would attempt to do. Temporarily I have disconnected the iPhone and will let the dock service external disks only. Later I will experiment to see if the charging of phones and connection of disks is supported when the dock is connected to a 220-volt supply. As with all such problems, it is often a case of trial and error before understanding the reasons.

Travel: Just one of those days from hell

Mike Evans — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 10:55:09 +0000

It was bad planning on my part to find myself in the air on the way to Washington DC the day after two of my favourite companies, Apple and Leica, both announced new things. It turned out to be a day from hell in other respects. A delayed flight, a two-hour line for passport control and then another 90 minutes stuck in a monumental traffic jam on the Beltway. It was then straight into a pre-arranged barbecue for 20 people at my hosts' home in suburban DC. No time for work, no time for even catching up on what Apple had been up do.

Before going to bed I logged in to Reeder to check what had been happening in the world only to find I had been locked out of Google Reader and Reeder could not connect. Feeling extremely frustated I decided to call it a day.

This morning, bright an early, I received an email from Google to say my access had been blocked because someone had tried to log in from Verizon in Washington DC. This has never happened before and I have logged in around the world, including recently in Beijing. Curious. After going through the usual hoops I reconnected and was immediately flooded with some 400 news stories missed on Tuesday. I sent a load to Instapaper for later browsing but then discovered I was locked out of Instapaper. Things could only get worse. For some reason my Instapaper account seems to have been blocked. I have been sending my monthly subscription to Marco for ages but, suddenly, nothing works.

I then discovered my account flagged as "inactive" on all my devices and I was directed to the App Store where new subscription options appeared. I assume all this is something to do with Marco selling off Instapaper, so I tried to buy a new sub only to have the request rejected. I am still waiting and cannot do any useful work until I get all the feeds. Frustrating, to say the least.

Probably all this is coincidence but I have written off Tuesday, July as just one of those days. A Tuesday from hell. I will now see what Wednesday brings.

LATER, AFTER STRONG COFFEE: I found I could still access my Instapeper account in Safari, went in and confirmed my details and pretty soon after that the iOS apps started communication. I have no idea what the problem was.

Airport Security: Unpredictability is king

Mike Evans — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 10:01:24 +0000

On my way through security this morning at London Heathrow, en route for Washington DC, I spied a change to the notice of dos and don'ts. Perhaps it has been there some time, I just haven't taken heed before: "All computer protective covers, including neoprene, must be removed". This gave me a few anxious moments. My MacBook Air is encased in a black Speck case which is difficult enough to attach and virtually impossible to remove in a hurry, especially with a crowd of impatient travellers in the queue behind. Even the iPad mini has a neoprene back case and a SmartCover.

This morning I sailed through without a problem. The staff were more interested in my belt than the cases on the computers. Even my camera gear, which was stored in my flight bag, went unmolested. In some airpots, Frankfurt for example, cameras and lenses are often hauled off for screening in a nearby room. Security experts say that unpredictability is the key to preventing illicit items being taken on board. We have no choice in the matter but, sometimes, the decisions are arbitrary. I now worry that one of these days I will be asked to strip the Speck case off my Air. What a nightmare. I would be interested to hear from experts whether the presence of a plastic or neoprene case really makes a difference.

MacBook Air: All day on one charge

Mike Evans — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 09:47:23 +0000

The notebook is not dead. Apple's duo of MacBook Airs, the 11in and 13in, build on the success of the old model and offer what users have been demanding: More speed, storage and long battery life. The new Intel Haswell ULT processor is the key to the extended battery life but the Airs also offer much faster graphics and more efficient use of power. OSX Mavericks, when it arrives in the autumn will further aid battery life because of its improved resource management.

Battery life is not just incrementally lengthened, it has been almost doubled. The smaller model now gets nine hours instead of the five hours of the last Air. The 13-incher will squeeze a very impressive twelve hours from its larger battery, up from seven on the old model. This is a real progress and will be appreciated by all travellers. For the first time, a MacBook can offer all-day battery life to compete with tablets and phones.

Wake up time, the bane of the computer user, has dropped to a ridiculously fast one second thanks to new all-flash storage which is said to be 45 percent faster than before. Wifi speeds have been trebled when communicating with the new AirPort Extreme which features 802.11ac technology.

There is good news on the price front. The 11in Air now gets a 128GB SSD, twice that in the old model, at the same price as before, $999. The larger model with the base 128GB disk comes in $100 cheaper than before, at $1,099, and you can grab a larger 256GB SDD for only $200 more.

Is it worth upgrading? This depends entirely on the age of your Air. If you are behind a generation or two it is certainly a good time to invest. On the other hand, as in my case, my 11in Air is only six months old and I will give this upgrade a miss. I use it mainly for travelling, primarily for writing and other non-intensive processes, so I reckon I can get by until the next major upgrade. I will just have to live with the relatively poor battery life.

UK Prices start at £849 for the 11in with 128GB and £949 for the 13in with similar memory. Again, for the benefit of readers outside Europe, these quoted prices include a 20 percent sales tax. In some countries, in particular the USA, tax is added at checkout.

Apple WWDC: When the whole is greater than the sum

Mike Evans — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 07:28:19 +0000

iOS7 Control Centre: Coming of age

Yesterday Apple came of age, iOS moved into the big school and OSX Mavericks will have gladdened the hearts of power users. I found the WWDC Keynote to be profoundly exciting, encouraging and a demonstration that Apple can still innovate without losing sight of the overall aims of its ecosystem. All these developments, including iWork for iCloud and iCloud Keychain, bind together what is already the world's most integrated and generally productive way of working.

We are now so used to seamless synchronisation between phone, tablet and computer that it would be a tremendous shock to go back to the way of working ten years ago. Moving away from Apple, even now, can be a stressful experience and this explains why customer loyalty among Apple's user base is unrivalled.

Apple software may not have the most bells and whistles, the devices may not be the cheapest, but the whole experience of embracing the Apple system is without doubt the best there is. Yesterday Apple proved that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Leica X Vario: All mouth and trousers, weeny aperture

Mike Evans — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 06:56:27 +0000

The worst-kept secret of the year is out. The Leica X Vario is every bit as slow and uncompetitive as I predicted two weeks ago. But will it find a new type of buyer with it's eye-watering €2,450 price tag.

Vicious Brollies: A eye for an eye

Mike Evans — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 07:56:31 +0000

Mr. Wackford Squeers, the headmaster of Dotheboys Hall, "had but one eye and the popular prejudice runs in favour of two". Dickens is not specific but I have always thought the poor man the victim of an umbrella. After a lifetime dodging their vicious barbs on the rainy streets of London it is surprising I have any eyes to spare, never mind but one. The answer to the marauding umbrella tine comes from Kenilworth, Warwickshire, where entrepreneur Stephen Collier has developed an entirely new and pedestrian-friendly version of the ancient prophylactic.

The Rainshader, a cocoon-like contraption which resembles an old motorcycle helmet, was designed mainly for use by spectators at sporting events. But as a basic nod to human kindness it appeals to the nerd in me. I am minded to order one here from Amazon
. It's only £27.50 but I just cannot decide which colour to get. Better to get everyone else to buy one so I can walk down the street unmolested. Never did like umbrellas in any case.

Leica X Vario update, body is bigger than the X2

Mike Evans — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 17:56:55 +0000

More and more sightings and handlings of the new X Vario to be announced on Tuesday: There is no change to the specification and the lens is definitely an f/3.5-6.4 zoom (28-70 equivalent range) fronting an APS-C sensor similar or identical to that in the X2. The interesting titbit, though, is that the Vario's body is bigger and heavier than that of the X2. One source in mainland Europe said she felt the body was more akin to an M rather than to the current X2. The screen is said to be much brighter than that on the X2 and the ISO performance has been tweaked, presumably to help offset the slow lens.

The X Vario will launch with a range of tasty accessories, including an M-style round-pillar hand grip and a collection of pretty leather cases in a galaxy of colours. The price is expected to be around €2,350 which equates to about £2,000.

As they get to hold the camera people are becoming a little more positive about the project, according to my source. Many feel that it will be highly attractive to a certain type of clientele which is not concerned with specification, nor with price. Unfortunately that segment is unlikely to include the traditional Leica liker.

Apple tight-pipped, Leica leaking like sieve

Mike Evans — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 09:32:00 +0000

Apple has been keeping its powder dry of late. So much so that there has been little to talk about. This could change on Monday when new products will be announced during the World Wide Developers' Conference in San Francisco. There are rumours of new MacBook Pros, even a new iPad and a fair certainty that we will be introduced to iOS7 in preparation for the launch in the autumn. As usual, Apple gives nothing away in advance.

Unlike Leica. This German company, which has nothing in common with Apple other than that it is another one that I follow avidly, has been leaking like a sieve for the past two weeks. The spec of the new X Vario camera has been in the public domain like the elephant in the room but no one believes it is true. Except me, that is. I am very gullible.

Whatever the stories, the first two days of next week should give us all more than a few column inches to string out. I am looking forward to getting the lowdown from both Cupertino and Solms. Cupertino, even more than Leica, needs something new. The lack of speculation over the last few months isn't healthy. It seems that the days of gash iPhones left in downtown SF bars is over. It's all very boring and, so far, predictable.

Don McAllister's walking desk

Mike Evans — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 09:02:02 +0000

Standing desks have become popular, especially in the USA where several well-known tech bloggers have refused to sit down on the job. Liverpool-based Don McAllister, the Mac Screencast Guy, has taken another step forward with his walking desk.

I am retired so I get my walking outdoors, but if I were tied to an office again I would seriously consider emulating Don. Check out Don's time-lapse video of the installation. Looks easier than IKEA but don't believe it.

Looks like Don will be a shadow of his former self within months. What we need is a before and after body-mass comparison.

Language: Stringing together the longest word

Mike Evans — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 06:33:00 +0000

I have always been fascinated by languages, both my native English and the thousands of separate tongues and dialects throughout the world. I can hardly go anywhere in the world without wanting to say please, thank you and how's your father in the local lingo

At an early age I learned from my mother, in northern England, that starving meant to be very cold. It was always starving in our house because we hadn't even imagined central heating. When I arrived in London to start work as a journalist I discovered most right-thinking people equated starving with being hungry. This was a new concept for me. Only later did I realise that "to starve" was a gradual softening in meaning of the German verb sterben, to die. What had happened in the fascinating transition of meaning from strong to weak was that dying of cold had stuck in my part of northern England while the rest of the English speaking world interpreted it as dying of hunger.

This is just one of thousands of examples of the way in which our language has evolved over the last thousand years since Norman French courted and married good old Anglo-Saxon which, in turn, had come to dominate the Scandinavian tongues of the Norsemen (not to mention the prior Latin and the celtic of Welsh, pushed into their western fastness by the Roman invader). It is hardly surprising, then, that I was amused earlier this week to read that Germany has officially ceased to deploy the longest word in common(?) usage. It deserves a line to itself:

Das Rindfleischetikettierungsüberwachungsaufgabenübertragungsgesetz

which, as any German five-year-old will tell you, is the law for the delegation of monitoring of beef labelling. Easy peasy.

Not to be out-done here in the Britain, if not in the English language, we have the Welsh town of

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch

Just say "Clan-vire-poolth-guin-gilth-go-ger-u-queern-drob-oolth-clandus-ilio-gogo-goch" or simply "Clan-vire PG" if you need directions to the local fish and chip shop. In case you are wondering, it means "St Mary's church in the hollow of the white hazel near to the fierce whirlpool and the church of St Tysilio of the red cave" but, disappointingly, it turns out it was invented in the 1860s by a local tailor who wanted his town to have the longest railway station name in the world. He succeed and, for over a century, sausage-long platform tickets have been a big seller.

Back to the Germans, who have a habit of stringing together nouns into more sausages with total disdain for the hyphens and similar fripperies. It is the only language I know that can have three s's in a row. In theory, a German noun can be of any length. I remember at an early age being encouraged to pronounce:

Die Kölndüsseldorferdampfschifffahrtskapitänsmütze

or the Cologne-Dusseldorf Steamship Company's captain's hat. It knocked Peter-Piper-picked into a pair of Lederhosen. Incidentally, it is longer than the Danube version mentioned here in The Telegraph. These compendiums, which are really intended to amuse rather than use, can be strung out to improbable lengths thanks to the easy going nature of the grammar. Any German party-game afficionado will recognise

Die Donaudampfschifffahrtselektrizitätenhauptbetriebswerkbauunterbeamtengesellschaft

or, in plain English, the "Association for Subordinate Officials of the Head Office Management of the Danube Steamboat Electrical Services". So now you know, even if pronunciation is on the tricky side, even for a German. You may well wonder why simple old English has become the Weltsprache. Or why the fledgling United States of America adopted English instead of German. Even Wurst, we might all be at it by now: Sausagenounsunlimited.

Thunderbolt 2 looms and I'm still waiting for 1

Mike Evans — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 20:34:42 +0000

Oh dear, Thunderbolt 2 is looming and I am still waiting for Thunderbolt 1 peripherals. I just paid for the Belkin Thunderbolt Dock and now it is planned for obsolescence. Is there no justice in this world?