March 2008
Yesterday's Post Magazine reprinted an article from The Guardian (Listen now, pay never) about "free" music. Artists have to find new ways of generating revenue (see Free doesn't mean worthless), and ad-supported websites probably aren't the answer.
Stupid choices - the Rugby Sevens in high definition (on Jade HD), but with no English commentary, or with a fuzzy picture and an English commentary on Pearl. Why couldn't TVB arrange for an English soundtrack to be available on Jade HD?
When I lived in the UK, I used to enjoy eating in Chinese restaurants. Well, how was I to know that it wasn't real Chinese food? By the same token, eating so-called "Western" food in Hong Kong is generally a fairly painful experience
Hong Kong's digital terrestrial TV isn't as bad as I had been led to believe. So what about Now TV HD? Well, it's not very good, I'm afraid to say.
What risk?
After the deaths of two young children from influenza in Hong Kong at the start of this month, the government instructed all primary schools and kindergartens to close. Ordinary influenza kills quite significant numbers of people every year, and of course the very young, very old, and chronically ill are much more vulnerable. The risks can be reduced by taking simple precautions, but does it make any sense to close all schools during the flu season? Clearly not.
The government has given the go-ahead for the so-called "Sha Tin to Central Link". When this was first announced it was going to be a new railway line from Tai Wai (in Sha Tin district), via Hung Hom, to Central. You might not realize this from newspaper reports, but it has become two separate extensions to existing lines - the Ma On Shan line will be extended south to Hung Hom, and East Rail will be extended south to Admiralty (but not Central, or at least not yet).
Panic?
No scaremongering in the SCMP today (Flu fight recalls dark days of Sars). Except that isn't an epidemic at all, just the normal flu - and no need to start mentioning SARS.
MusicXS - what's the point of that, then?
There's a full page ad for MusicXS in the SCMP today, so I thought I would check it out. It's a music download service, but you can only listen to the music for as long as you maintain your subscription - and you're out of luck if you wanted to listen on your iPod or any other MP3 player. Well, thanks very much, Smartone-Vodafone.
Hong Kong digital TV - not too bad
I am rather surprised by this, but I think I have to report that digital tv in Hong Kong isn't as bad as some people have suggested.
posted by Chris @ Monday, March 31, 2008
