iPhone 4 - Sensational!

Apple's done it again. The iPhone 4 makes for a 'day and night' comparison with Apple's previous offering, the iPhone 3GS, and makes me wonder how I got by with the iPhone 3G I have just replaced after two years of fault-free service.

 OK, I hesitated buying the '4,' concerned about the antena thing but ultimately, after talking to a number of 'early adopters,' I was convinced that Apple had managed to do it, again. This phone is a quantum leap forward, with a fast processor and enough memory to fly through the myriad of of built-in and optional apps. It is fast!

Early impressions:

• Camera is fully capable of high quality photographs and now has a flash
• HD Video surpasses my expectations
• Internet browsing is fast, even without a WiFi connection
• Battery life is much improved
• No sign of any antena issue and reception and sound quality appears to be better than before

All in all, this is a huge step forward and makes me wonder what's coming next from iPhone?

London - Brick Lane "Good Behavior" Zone

Brick Lane, in London's East End, used to be the kind of area you stayed clear of, but it's gradual gentrification has made it an increasingly trendy part of town.

One of the stranger sights, at least to a visitor, is a peculiar street sign...

Yes, you will be comforted to know that you are in a "Good Behaviour Zone," as defined by the Anti Social Behaviour Act of 2003.

One other thing you'll notice is a healthy Metropolitan Police presence...

Who are no doubt busy enforcing "Good Behaviour"

Despite the abject failure of Tony Blair's 'New Labour' socialist programs to modify behavior by decree, traditional policing has ensured that the area has thrived. One of the highlights is the revitalized Old Truman Brewery...

which now offers an eclectic selection of ethnic foods at moderate prices inside what used to be the boiler house of brewery. 

Very tasty.

Click here to map it with Google Maps

Amsterdam Remembers Michael Jackson

Of all places... on the Elandsgracht in Amsterdam's Jordaan district, there's a surprising memorial to Michael Jackson.

The caption below the picture states:


 "In 1977, Dutch 'star' photographer Claude Vanheye photographed Michael Jackson in his Amsterdam Hazenstraat studio. After a four hour photo session, Claude gave Michael a personal tour of his neighborhood, de Jordaan. That's where they photographed each other in the street.


This exclusive photograph is for sale in limited editions and in 3 different sizes. For information, mail to: michaelamsterdamphotos@gmail.com"

There's no way of telling whether this is an official memorial, or some enterprising advertising by Claude Vanheye.

A few Jackson fans have left signs that they appreciate the memorial.

Law Abiding Amsterdamers...

You will probably have to click on the picture to see why I thought this photo says a lot about Amsterdam...

 Here's a clue.

Eindhoven's Answer To Unwanted Babies?

Perhaps something got lost in the translation...

Eindhoven Station - Hard to photograph

There's not a lot to say about Eindhoven's railway station - the trains are clean, incredibly silent (inside and out), and they run efficiently, economically and most importantly, on time.

The only truly challenging thing about Eindhoven railway station is getting a photograph that clearly shows the name "Eindhoven" in white letters above the building. You see normally, the sky is of such a similar color to the letters, that the name does not stand out. Today, however, the dark summer stormy skies combined with brilliant sunshine to allow for sufficient contrast to show the sign.

OK, I get it. I need to get a life!

Wonder What's On The Menu?

Dommelstratt is a 'restaurant row' just to the east of the central shopping area.

Restaurants on the Dommelstraat offer a wide variety of international cuisine, and all vie for customers with assorted attractions.

I'll let you ponder precisely why the Turkish Restaurant pictured above has Spiderman crawling down the wall...

Douwe Egberts Koffie Kado - Starbucks the Netherlands Way

I returned to the Douwe Egberts Koffie Kado to see if indeed, you could not get a Starbucks-style paper cup to take away your precious coffee.

Rumor mongers had told me that there was fierce resistance to the Starbucks approach to coffee shops where the majority of the clientele take their coffee away.

Enough said?

Eindhoven's Interesting Architecture Pt. 2

Although it's only the 4th tallest building in Eindhoven, the Vesteda Toren is perhaps the most striking building in the Eindhoven skyline.

The Vesteda Toren is visible from almost everywhere in Eindhoven, and it is such an unusual building that it never fails to attract attention.

The Vesteda Toren in a luxury apartment building where those who can afford the rent, can have a great view of the city, as well as a very prestigious address.

Competed in 2006, it is 90 meters (300 feet) high with 28 floors. It appears that the Vesteda Toren was inspired by New York's Flatiron Building, a triangular shaped building that dates back to 1902.

The Vesteda Toren is certainly a handy landmark if you get lost, you really cannot mistake it for anything else.

Eindhoven's Interesting Architecture

As you leave Eindhoven's unusual underground bicycle park at 18 Septemberplein, you find this equally unusual glass structure also in the shadow of the Philips factory.

 

As of August 2010, this glass building is still unfinished, although it looks like it could be completed fairly soon and will probably be a retail store. This striking structure marks the start of a new shopping street called Nieuwe Emmasingel. The shopping precinct is managed by Admirant.

The brown brick building immediately behind the glass structure is called 'de Admirant' and appears to be a newly restored office/factory building. According to the history page of Admirant's website, this area was part of the Philips complex of factories and offices.

The ground floor of de Admirant is occupied by Douwe Egberts; the Dutch leading coffee maker, and is operated as a Starbucks-style coffee shop under the Douwe Egberts Koffie & Kado brand.

The store sells coffee, tea and light snacks, very much in the way Starbucks stores are operated.

Customers can find virtually everything connected with the making and serving of coffee and tea. To say that the selection of tea and coffee related products is vast is an understatement.

One thing that customers seemingly cannot get, however, is a cup of coffee to take away in a Starbucks-style paper cup.  It has been rumored that Dutch resistance to Starbucks opening retail stores in the Netherlands was been attributed to the Starbucks business model, which relies heavily on take-away sales. The Dutch coffee industry appears to prefer customers to consume coffee on premises and thereby encourages a more sociable cafe lifestyle. It's a rumor and I have no idea whether there's any truth to it. Equally, the absence of paper cups at Douwe Egberts Koffi-Kado may be simply because the store had just opened when I visited it.

STOP PRESS - The paper cup rumor is nonsense. See latest post.

18 Septemberplein, Eindhoven

An interesting solution to a common problem...

18 Septemberplein in Eindhoven is the square at the north end of Eindhoven's fashionable central shopping district. It is the location of the Piazza shopping mall and the prestigious department store, 'de Bijenkorf.'

In 2007 an extensive excavation started in the square, revealing the remnants of old Eindhoven structures but also raising the question, why? Why was a fairly major excavation going on? What was the purpose?

The only clues were artist's impressions of what appeared to be a pair of tubular entrances/exits to some sort of underground passage. When I returned to Eindhoven in 2010, the construction had been recently completed but (above), but still provided little if any clue as to its purpose, so being naturally inquisitive, I took a closer look.

The sight of a motorcycle didn't seem strange, one sees motorcycles and bicycles everywhere in the Netherlands, and Eindhoven is no exception.

But when the rider got off his motorcycle and walked it onto the escalator, I did think that was a little strange - if it was an underpass, why not drive through? All was about to become clear...

As we neared the end of our descent, we appeared to be entering a vast underground cycle park.

If you click on the photos, you can see them in greater detail. This place was massive!

It really was very impressive, and as I wandered around the place, it was clear that the problems of where to store bikes so that they don't create the typical unsightly messes, and also provide safe storage where bicycles cannot be stolen, was solved. Albeit at vast expense!

In the center of the underground bicycle park, some of the excavated ruins from old Eindhoven had been preserved.

Of course, as one leaves the cavern, ascending the escalator on the west side, one cannot fail to be impressed by the way that the old Philips factory comes into view.

If the underground bicycle park wasn't impressive enough, another interesting and almost as puzzling building meets you at the top of the escalator. See the next post.