Apple vs Flash

So, Steve Jobs says Flash is a bit rubbish and not suitable for running on Apple's uber-cool touchscreen smartphones and the like.

Good.

The less use that's made of Flash the better imo. It's hideously overused - I took a look at a Flash website today - for a lodge business. Why on earth the site was built in Flash I'll never know - ages to load, lousy scrolling and really sucky look all round.

So any disincentive to use the damned stuff on standard websites sounds like a plan to me.

Jobs explains his difficulties with Flash - which can be a great tool if it's used properly btw - in a letter. Sound points in general - the lack of openness, security problems and battery issues convince me by themselves. Worth a read.

How cool is Apple?

OK, it's probably my age.

I can think of no other reason (well, apart from the splendid ubiquitousness of Stephen Fry and his ability to influence the interwebz for the better), but Apple and their stuff is increasingly cool. Forget Santa, it's Steve Jobs I want to send a wish list to...

Anyway, I happened to be in the Apple store in Norwich yesterday buying a gift for someone and was officially impressed by technology. Not all the Apple kit in the store (although I want it - all of it...), but the payment system was pretty froody for starters. None of those old fashioned till thingummies - just a wireless credit card scanner attached to each worker. Cool.

Even cooler, the server then asked me if I'd like my receipt e-mailed to me. Good idea - I'll only lose the bit of paper anyway if something goes wrong, whereas I can handily file the e-mail away for a year. I was expecting to have to give her my e-mail address but, no, I'd clearly used my credit card on iTunes so she could access their database and quote the address at me straight away.

Saves time, money, paper, me losing something and is pretty darned cool all round in my book.

Now, that's what I call progress in an ict rich environment