Random thoughts from Berlin

Before I chat about the expedition to Potsdam, a few unrelated observations and comments.

A clever and funny iPhone spoof suggesting that the next iPhone was designed with the look and feel of a unique SLR camera whose sole purpose was to take spontaneous food shots! Google it! It’s sadly true even for me!

As I wander by foot and cycle around Berlin I am in awe of the architecture. Berlin itself is one huge inspiring city cathedral. Furthermore I am constantly reminded that all but 70 years ago, Berlin was like the ancient ruins of castles and cathedrals, razed to the ground by relentless allied bombing. Each building I stand before or meander through, has been loving and meticulously restored to its former glory! It is fantastic in the figurative and literal sense. Black and white pictures attest to the utter devastation and desolation of each building after the war.

Despite one’s expectation that the cost of living and prices would be more in Germany, compared to Spain, this is not the case. As judged by a coffee and croissant or any similar snack, at least in Barcelona, these were as costly if not occasionally, more so in Spain! I know you retort- they saw me coming!

I am sitting in the lounge at Berlin central station waiting to travel to Hanover for the day to meet Aaron ( German guy stayed in adelaide). On the TV there is news on launch of new Nokia smart phone running Windows 8. Why do all new technology launches involve a man with a head mic, jeans and black top ( shirt or skivvy) who paces up and down holding the aforementioned device in his hand, the screen of which is back projected? As far as I can recall all new product launches involving Microsoft, have been defined with glitches, crashes and frozen screens.

Finally for the benefit of my techno nerds , the Apple versus Samsung saga has muddied the waters somewhat.

The iPhone and iPad run a distinctive and presumably unique operating system, iOS – version 6 due for release soon.

The Apple Mac computers all run a version of UNIX – it is the same core code that forms the basis of Linux ( open source) and …. Android! This is the mobile version of Unix, developed by Google and running on almost all other smart phones. So underneath it all, the Apple Mac range, Linux, Ubuntu, all run a flavour of Unix and in a simplistic way android phones!

Now off my soap box and onwards to Potsdam.