The HTC One X: Four months in

Nov 13th, 2012 Personal, Technology Janna Bastow 9 min read

I first picked my HTC One X a few months ago, the absolute moment I could upgrade my previous 18 month contract I had on my HTC Desire HD. I’m sure the Desire had some life left in it, except that I’d cracked the screen. Badly. While I was tempted to write a glowing report a week in, I put it off… I wanted to…

The Opening Ceremony: You had to be there

Jul 30th, 2012 Personal, Society Janna Bastow 3 min read

I’m thankful to have lived in London for the last 3 years. Otherwise, like the rest of the world, I probably wouldn’t have understood most of the cultural references in the Olympic opening ceremony this past week… and probably wouldn’t have enjoyed it. For outsiders, anyone who hasn’t lived in Britain, I’m not entirely sure I disagree with their negative sentiments. While Britons laughed and…

Triumphant Triathlon Trial

Mar 25th, 2012 Personal Janna Bastow 6 min read

Last weekend, I took part in my first ever triathlon, urged on by my lovely (and infinitely tougher) colleague Charlie. To clarify, it was a mini triathlon: At 400m swim, 10km cycle, and a 5km run, it doesn’t even qualify as a Sprint. On top of that, it was an indoor event – we did the track in the comfort of The Third Space gym,…

Do more

Jan 4th, 2012 Personal Janna Bastow 1 min read

This video is stunning. It makes me want to get on the next plane, see more of the world, and while I’m at it, record and make something beautiful. I’ll think of this as a resolution of sorts. Time is Nothing // Around The World Time Lapse from Kien Lam on Vimeo. Source: PetaPixel – A Year-Long Journey Around the World Captured in Time-Lapse Photographer…

A mutual break-up with privacy

Sep 25th, 2011 Personal, Society, Technology Janna Bastow 4 min read

I used to be pretty intensely private about my life, at least when it came to sharing online. That started to change for me when I met Twitter, and slowly and tentatively started putting a little more of myself in the public eye with each tweet. I’ve been exploring the new Timeline view in Facebook, and I love it. I did, however, have a peek…

My bags are packed

Aug 8th, 2011 Personal Janna Bastow 1 min read

These shorts by Rick Mereki have twinged a need in me to go on some travel adventure. Or to take up some new hobby. The last one just made me hungry.

I made some posters

Jul 31st, 2011 Personal, Product Janna Bastow 3 min read

Our new offices in Shoreditch are a little bare with their white walls. I’m missing the blue and green colours from the old Soho office, and figured I could do something to add a splash of colour and personality. I created and printed a set of 4 posters in A2 format, and tacked them to the walls. Everyone’s seen the old Keep Calm and Carry…

The last of the longest

Jun 21st, 2011 Personal Janna Bastow 1 min read

With sunrise coming up at 4:43 this morning and setting at 9:21 in the evening, today marks the longest day of the year. Living at such a high latitude in London (yes, London is further north than both Toronto and Montreal, my previous bases), this day is essentially one of the longest of my life. With a critical bug swooping in by 10:30 this morning,…

Humbled

Jun 1st, 2011 Personal Janna Bastow 1 min read

Every once in a while, you see something like this and realise how fleeting and inconsequential our lives are on this planet. This beautifully shot video really gives that sense of the Earth tumbling along its course in the galaxy, completely unaware of the significance it holds to the creatures that walk upon it. Breathtaking. The photographer‘s other two videos are up on Vimeo, one…

BraveNewEra

May 31st, 2011 Personal Janna Bastow 3 min read

I stopped by the old BraveNewTalent offices today, partly to see if I could get my hands on an Amazon order that had been accidentally delivered there a day too late… and partly, I think, to say goodbye. I stood to admire the lovely door facing Beak Street (have I mentioned I’ve got a thing for old doors?), before punching in the familiar key code…