I just downloaded the alpha version of Camino 0.9 and, holy crap, it’s a fast browser. It’s a Mozilla browser (like Firefox) but designed as a native OS X application (unlike Firefox) so it takes advantage of some of the functions and interface features of Apple’s operating system. It’s seriously the fastest browser I’ve used and although the built-in adblocking isn’t quite as good as Adblock under Firefox I can deal when it’s this good. Give it a try if you’re running an Apple.

I’ve become something of an RSS addict since I started using NetNewsWire to save the hassle of visiting countless news sites daily, but the growing phenomenon of Podcasting has escaped me thus far. Just as the Internet itself opened journalism (used loosely in some cases) to the masses, podcasting seems to be doing the same to radio for anyone with a microphone and a web connection.

I’ve been listening to the excellent Inside The Magic Disney World podcast since it started but even getting that was annoying without running a seperate program to retrieve it, so for me and the millions of iPod owners who don’t know what a podcast is, this iTunes update has the potential to blow it wide open. Pretty much unlimited free content to listen to is always good, whether you want to read content from the community or stuff from the “real” broadcasters, as the number syndicating their content with RSS continues to grow. I’m hoping for the BBC to start putting some of their full radio shows online through a podcast, but there’s plenty of stuff available now.

Anyway, through digging around I’ve found that I enjoy the aforementioned Inside The Magic as well as Xbox team member Major Nelson‘s podcast, but I’m on the lookout for more. If anyone knows of any good ones that they think I’d like (technology and gaming are both fair game, but I’ll take anything interesting), let me know.

Joystiq and Team Xbox are reporting the admittedly tenuous story that Microsoft are courting a developer made up of several members of the Shenmue development team and, whether it’s putting two and two together to make five or not, speculated that it could mean that Shenmue III is on the way for the Xbox 360.

Anyone who knows me knows that I’m nuts about Shenmue and the thought of it with the graphical acuity of the 360 just has me salivating. It’s probably my favourite series which makes the stunted ending of the series so far all the more tragic, but MS are probably thinking the same thing about the amount of money they blew securing Shenmue II as an Xbox title. It’s all speculation but it certainly could add up to a continuation or conclusion of the series. As a graphical showcase for what will certainly be a popular machine, and coupled with the cult following that the series has amassed it must be worth it.

BBC: Presenter Richard Whiteley dies

Man…weekday afternoons are never going to be the same again. That guy was great and completely irreplaceable. Rest in peace.

If I ever saw an advert for surge protectors, this is it. If people invested in a £15 unit that shields your electronics and anything connected to them (in other words: you) from destruction at the hands of vindictive weather patterns. OK, so it wouldn’t have stopped lightning striking and their house would still be fucked, but it would have saved having to replace a PS2 and a TV at least, and there’s the little fact that their kid wouldn’t have been struck by lightning.

The new series of Doctor Who has been one of the most enjoyable TV shows that I’ve seen in a long time and should serve as the paragon of how to successfully revive and update an old series, and I’ve been eagerly awaiting the final episode ever since I saw the spectacular-looking trail attached to last week’s episode. The Daleks are cool, so half a million of them getting ready to invade Earth had to be even cooler.

The episode was indeed very good, and the big surprise was seeing Eccleston regenerate into David Tennant when we all thought it was going to happen in the Christmas special. Or at least I did until The Sun published a giant photo of it happening a couple of days ago. Thanks for that, guys…

From what we saw, which was admittedly very little, I didn’t think that he looked like he was going to be as good as he just looks too young for the role. Being in Eccleston’s clothes can’t have helped to be fair, but the casting of a Doctor who looks so young just seems to me to be an attempt to have an even more overt romance between him and Rose. Still, the Cybermen will be cool villains for the second series.