You'd have to be living under a rock for the last couple of weeks to have missed the fact that Apple released its 2nd version of the iPhone (dubbed 3G for the network it runs on).

What hasn't received a lot of hype is the upgrad made to the older generation of iPhone (as well as the new).

Version 2.0 of the iPhone OS is a major improvement, and unlike Microsoft who continues to add complexity to every new layer of OS (have you tried to change your screen resolution in Vista? its like 3 extra steps from XP)



Take for example the update to the iPhone's email software - deleting emails used to be a fingerswipe-confirm or edit (then turn the knob, confirm) 2 to 3 step process.

GONE! - now its a check box and a mass delete - much improved -thank you Apple!

I am a couple of days late of acknowledging the 100th birthday o an author who I believe inspired the every day use of technology.

Ian Fleming Ian Fleming was born on May 28th, 1908 in Mayfair, England.

Best known as the creator of Secret Agent 007, James Bond, Fleming also served in WW II and according to wikipedia.org he was the mastermind behind several Allied plans to thwart Germany's efforts including GoldenEye

"Fleming also formulated Operation Goldeneye, a plan to maintain communication with Gibraltar as well as a plan of defence in the unlikely event that Spain joined the Axis Powers and, together with Germany, invaded the Mediterranean colony."

As child was an avid Ian Fleming reader and I read all 21 of his James Bond novels and/or short stories.

No doubt James Bond's uses of technology and gadgets influenced my desire to implement technology in as many places as I have.

One of his lesser known books was adopted for a movie also became a child hood favorite...
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

As the allies left WW II behind and entered the cold war, Fleming continued to have an impact on world affairs, most notably and apparently as the inspiration behind President John F. Kennedy's attempts to have Fidel Castro ridiculed.

Today thought, we celebrate the man who single handily made tech cool and inspired a generation of adventure follower's to want to collect and use the latest tech gadgets.

Hats off to Mr. Fleming!

Gizmodo reported earlier this week on my dream scanner - at 3,000 pages now that is fast!

Now if only I had the quarter millon dollars it takes to buy one...

I found this translated webpage via untranslated website that features some ingenious programmers who figured out how to make a macro in Microsoft Excel.... to Play Pac Man.
I downloaded the zip file and confirmed it work.

If you are an 1980s game fan - they also have many other games.
Amazing!

My favorite magazine, The Economist has a fabulous article this week on the impact of technology and our ability as a society to be more mobile.

Take a look at the article and let me know which catergory of traveler you fall into.