Roy's posterous

Stephen Fry on Steve Jobs and the iPhone 4S

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via stephenfry.com

Brilliant as ever. A great man and his last legacy product eulogized by a really nice and thoughtful man.

"Apple‘s loss last week was enormous. I wrote all that I felt I could in the blog farewell on this website to a man I was lucky enough to know a little and admire a great deal. Most are probably now profoundly sick of hearing either how much he was under or overestimated as a man and as a figure of his times. I never knew of any human beings whose achievements were exactly estimated.

The word “estimate” is the clue here. I only know that if I had grandchildren and they heard me tell of my meetings with him they would feel as I might if my grandfather had told me about meeting Henry Ford, Rockefeller or Irving Thalberg. It might be, after all, that Aldous Huxley overestimated Henry Ford by making the dystopian future in his Brave New World name its calendar after him.

Read the full article here: http://www.stephenfry.com/2011/10/12/iphone-4s/

He also wrote another personal note on Steve Jobs here: http://www.stephenfry.com/2011/10/06/steve-jobs/

ADITYA BIRLA in talks to partner with LAWSON

Planet Retail notes that India-based retailer Aditya Birla Retail
(ABRL) is reportedly in talks with Lawson for a retail joint venture,
according to CNBC-TV18.The terms of the joint venture are yet to be
finalised as the two companies await clarity on foreign direct
investment (FDI) rules - considering the recent proposal by India's
Committee of Secretaries to allow up to 51% FDI in multi-brand retail.
Lawson has already indicated that it plans to be one of the first
Japanese retailers to enter the Indian market.

Why Mosburger can't compete

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It's been interesting to watch RU first years tangle with the problem of how Mosburger is supposed to compete with McDonalds in Japan. Originally created as the Japanese McDonalds, with high levels of quality and service, the chain seems to be completely unable to grasp the fact that it's customers (in fact, probably hamburger customers everywhere) won't buy simply because ingredients are said to be made in Japan. At least it's getting more international: Nan Pizza?!

Typical smoker

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I'm not sure I can add much to this picture. The Japanese says something like: "How about this taste? Arrived in Japan." It seems to me that Japan Tobacco (who never call themselves anything but JT nowadays) have a very clear target with the Winston ads they're running on all and every fag vending machine in the area.

Smiles in short supply at Starbucks Ikebukuro Nishi

The Starbucks Ikebukuro West Exit store I think keeps its title a the second worst in the world. The only place I've received worse, less friendly and down right miserable service at a Starbucks is still Gatwick Airport and even the miserable 12 year old seeming boys serving in Ikebukuro today weren't that bad - they just seemed to hate their lives and were contemplating either mass depression or worse.