Tom

Tom, originally uploaded by Rollofunk.

The eager student still smiling before the Telemark lesson. Marked improvement today.

Messilä

Messilä, originally uploaded by Rollofunk.

Good snow even this far south means meaningful day trips. Today saw us skiing in Messilä.

GF1

GF1, originally uploaded by Rollofunk.

The result of about 6 months of camera fever. Gone from wanting a new superzoom to mid-high DSLRs, and this is the result. Someday I might want to get a big Nikon body as well to use my old Sigma glass and other fun stuff on, but seriously considering the use I want now, plus this excellent review among others, led me down the path towards Micro FourThirds format cameras. I want to be using the camera for anything from hiking and climbing in Lapland to walking around Tokyo for a day in +36 degree heat, so the smaller the better really. Being able to somewhat discreetly shoot user research situations and observation sessions for work is a bonus too. Still charging up the battery, but expect to see better quality images here soon.

Natural Design, Part 2

Natural Design, Part 2, originally uploaded by Rollofunk.

Again wind and snow have been doing some pretty cool redesigns around here, like this tail end of a WV Golf.

Victim of High Expectations?

Victim of High Expectations?, originally uploaded by Rollofunk.

Keeping an eye on the tech and gadget blogsphere (among other things) have resulted in a Tablet overdose lately. I don't think any product has generated as much rumor, speculation, emotions and hype as the recently unveiled iPad. Now it's out for all to see, and a quick look at the comments seems to reveal a crowd in disbelief and lot's of unimpressed punters. Still a lot of details missing, as the whole objective user experience for example, so I won't go into analyzing the device itself. Seems a lot of people were expecting terribly much from a gadget that may or may not be a new product category in itself, and were let down when they didn't see the light immediately in mr. Job's presentation. That's the web, and by extension (western) consumers for you, I guess. Fickle and hard to please.

Same type of behaviour can be seen in the ongoing, tragicomically US-centric smartphone debate: A while ago Motorola was being written off as nothing new and exciting appeared after the RAZR. Until the Droid that is, and now Moto is soo cutting edge again, with Nokia taking the place in the hotseat (though making a valiant effort to get out of it with the N900). Might Apple be the next to get mobbed, or do they still have enough cool points left to handle the possible flop the iPad might be? If it indeed is a flop, that is. And would it be different if it had hit more out of the blue, like the first iPhone? I believe it would.

Glad I'm pretty exclusively working with designs most gadget blog speculators never even hear about.

Rare View

Rare View, originally uploaded by Rollofunk.

Just got in from a nice walk out on the ice. In winter you get to visit the islands you usually only look at from the mainland.

Frozen Schedule

Frozen Schedule, originally uploaded by Rollofunk.

Trends for 2011

Trends for 2011, originally uploaded by Rollofunk.

Got to listen in on the trend reports from Carlin International and Mudpie on Thursday. Will the styles presented have a future until Spring/Summer 2011? Hard to say. Trend reports are just opinions anyway, not roadmaps to be to be strictly followed.

New Commuting Issue

New Commuting Issue, originally uploaded by Rollofunk.

New year, new trains going to the office (if I take the 08:53 one). Swiss made, and run like a well oiled watch, but the interior has a trash issue. I like the table (finally!), but the trash bin underneath puts a hard edge right into the side of my knee if I try to sit normally. Also, I don't think the cleaning staff enjoys opening and checking every trash bin separately, as they could just walk down the aisle and empty the more open ones in previous models. Still been clean the few times I've taken it, though, but can't be motivating.

Being Entertained

Being Entertained, originally uploaded by Rollofunk.

Computer downtime was well spent building and installing the Christmas presents we got for ourselves: Some Ikea things, a 37" Panasonic and a Wii. No more one-screen-fits-all in this household. iMac was promptly moved to sit on the kitchen table when it got back from service. Now there's just about four times as much cable spaghetti than there was before.

It's White

It's White, originally uploaded by Rollofunk.

iMac is alive again (been for a while, but had to take care of some more urgent stuff first before blogging). To celebrate, a shot downtown some days ago when everything was still covered in frozen mist.

Happy This and That

2010 started with fireworks, champagne, opening of the telemark season plus a broken iMac. Took the poor thing to see the macdoctor today, and they said it'll be at least a week before it's up and running again. Can't post much before getting it back, because sorting the pictures from various hard drives and memory cards is a pain. Better keep things simple. Anyway, I've got some Ikea stuff and a brand new Wii to keep me busy while waiting.