PS/3? Perhaps Not for Me.

So the PS/3 launch date has been announced. And the price. For the privilege of getting the machine five months late we suckers in the UK are having to pay nearly half as much again as people in other, luckier, parts of the world.

I was talking to a chap in one of the Game shops on Friday. He reckons that they will have to open the shop up early and get us to queue first thing in the morning just to reserve the thing. Not to buy it. So that means two early mornings and a whole slab of cash to play slightly better looking racing games than ones I have already. And do you know, for the first time in a long history of early adopting, I might not bother.

I've bought launch versions of both of the previous to Playstations. And the PSP. I have a "Sony reflex" which means that if I'm shopping for electronic goodies the Sony one is usually what I end up with. I really like their stuff. I even got one of their dogs for heaven's sake (and then they stopped making the Aibo - something I've never forgiven them for). But the PS/3 isn't really floating my boat just at the moment.  I know that the power is awesome. I know that it will play Blu-Ray movies in HD. I know that Sony are losing a fortune on each box that they sell.  And I know that it will be successful (in Japan at any rate).

But at the moment I'm OK for consoles. The XBOX 360 lets me play good quality, high definition, games. The Wii lets me just have fun. And as things stand I'm not sure what the PS/3 would bring to the party, apart from a bigger hole in my bank balance. Once I've bought the console, an extra controller, an HD lead and some movies and games I'm going to be out around 700 quid and I'm not sure that I'm up for that. Plus I know that I'm being ripped off just for living in the wrong country, and it will only get cheaper in the future....

Ho hum. Perhaps I'll change my mind. I'm keeping my name on the list, and I'm going to start a sort of PS/3 sinking fund and sell a few bits on ebay. But at the moment I just don't feel that motivated.

The Busiest Man in the World?

Been mucho busio today(o?). All our new modules start this week, and I've not yet finished marking exams and coursework from last semester. So it was give a bunch of lectures, mark a load of exam scripts and then stagger home to write some more on the Micro Framework book.

Sometimes I wish there were more than one of me, so that I could share the work out amongst us (there have been movies about this kind of idea). I'd be the best  looking and smartest version of course.

I thought that everyone had musical socks

Some discussion around the place about musical socks. Apparently not everyone knows what they are. How surprising. Perhaps the rest of the world has not reached the heights of culture and refinement that we take for granted at Chateaux Miles.

Musical socks have a small piezo sounder and a little circuit that allows them to play a reedy, square wave, rendition of some out of copyright ditty or other. My socks play the one that goes "Dee dah dah dah, dah dah dah...". When you squeeze one part of the little plastic envelope they are sealed into this wonderful music issues forth. Mine tend to go off when I cross my legs for some reason.

And this is why you should not wear them in bed, no matter how cold your feet get. Being woken up at 2 am by a muffled, eery tune wafting out of the bottom of the duvet is not an experience you'll want. Take it from me.

Rules for Life no. 545 of 1099

Never go to bed wearing musical socks.

Graduation Daze

Did a couple of graduation ceremonies today. I'm the chap who stands up at the start and gives a 10 minute spiel on how to behave, when to stand up, sit down, wear your hat etc etc. Great fun. Had two very well behaved audiences who did everything right. Thanks folks. We also had a couple of really good honorary graduates; Jane Tomlinson and Michael Apted.

Free food and drink for our graduands

I think I'm going to have to retire my opening joke that I use at the graduation ceremonies. It never gets a laugh and I think it might be turning audiences against me. I'm not going to reproduce it here, ask a Hull graduate if you want to find out what it is.....

After the show is over