The royal wedding - Murphybollocks edition
Posted by Christie Malry on April 29, 2011 at 6:43 pm
This really needs no further comment.
How quickly reputation is lost - an Android case study
Posted by Christie Malry on April 27, 2011 at 9:53 pm
In the world of Android mobile phones, lots of essential software is provided not by the operating system itself but by third party programmers. The operating system doesn't provide an easy way to turn off mobile data, which can be problematic if you don't have an unlimited data plan or you are travelling in a foreign country. Under those circumstances it can be a very costly mistake to leave your phone connecting to the Internet via its 3G modem.
The de facto gold standard solution is a little fix called APNdroid. This tricks your phone by temporarily renaming its data settings so that it simply cannot connect when you don't want it to. When you want to connect again, it renames them back. APNdroid is so widely used that other software providers often provide hooks to it in their software so you can use them together.
Yet recently, APNdroid's author, Martin Adamek, has been trying to increase the meagre amount of advertising revenue he makes from APNdroid. He has been experimenting with different formats; each time this has pushed an 'update' through the Android Marketplace encouraging users to upgrade to the latest version. This has upset some users. But the very latest update has got them erupting in fury. Because, unlike previous versions, this one sticks an advertisement in the status bar once a day. When users click on the advertisement, it takes them to a webpage where they can buy ringtones.
Having been a very highly rated application, recent reviews have given it and its author a right kicking.
Martin has, to his credit, gone into damage limitation mode, firstly pointing out that users can pay for an ad-free version (although £1.50 is perhaps a bit steep for something that the operating system really ought to provide by itself), then dealing with disgruntled customers on Twitter.
But a lot of users will just walk away and, if Martin ever decides to revert to a less intrusive system, they'll never see it. Alternatives to APNdroid are now available, including one that looks virtually identical to it. Having become the market leader, it's just possible that he's squandered his advantage by getting just a bit too greedy.
For the technically minded, the offending service is called Airpush, which has an extensive list of questions and answers about its service here. Curiously, they don't seem to have an answer to "Will Airpush irritate my users and get them to uninstall my software in rage?"
Brides are mad
Posted by Christie Malry on April 24, 2011 at 7:54 am
Further proof, as if it were needed, that the world has gone completely stark raving mad
Pan, 27, took a trip to Suzhou, in southern China, a city famed for its multitude of bridal manufacturers.She bought two dresses; a princess-style number for £80, which she believes would have retailed for £800 in the UK, and a designer replica for £90, which she would have bought for £1,000 in Britain. Even with the cost of her flights, Pan, an office worker, reckons she made a good saving and believes that the clothes were made ethically.
Who cares about the carbon footprint of a flight half way around the world just to go shopping when there's cheap wedding dresses to be had?!
And two dresses? What's the second one for - insurance in case she has to return the first husband?
Cutting clutter from annual reports
Posted by Christie Malry on April 6, 2011 at 8:44 am
The UK Accounting Standards Board has published a report on clutter in financial statements, as part of its ongoing work on complexity.
Clutter in annual reports is a problem, obscuring relevant information and making it harder for users to find the its prospects for long-term success.
All of those involved in regulating, reviewing, preparing and using annual reports have to change their behaviours if we are to remove clutter and improve corporate reporting.
In other words, if you're a special interest group, would you kindly get your meddling mitts out of the financial statements? The accounts are for everyone, not some small subsection.
Yes, in relation to country by country reporting, that means you, Ritchie.
Caba rocks
Posted by Christie Malry on April 4, 2011 at 9:30 am
Caba is the Chartered Accountants Benevolent Association. It was set up in 1886 as a sort of safety net for ailing ICAEW chartered accountants and their families. But it also helps students and former members, as well as orphaned dependant children. So this year marks their 125th anniversary.
The work Caba does is phenomenal. Their website contains many case studies of people they have been able to help thanks to the generous charitable donations of former and current chartered accountants.
To celebrate the anniversary, Caba is calling on all chartered accountants to take a bit of time on 12 May (12/5, geddit?) to think about their work-life balance and to make some time in their busy schedules to relax. You may also wish to take some time on 12 May to donate to Caba and the work that they do.
