I’m very pleased to announce the new version of www.cut, a major release including an almost complete rewrite of all the UI code and a bunch of stuff under the hood. You don’t care about that, but it does bring you iPad support, the ability to lengthen already shortened URLs and the ability to sync your settings between devices using iCloud.

The iCloud bit, as with lots of stuff under the hood, means that it will only work on devices that run iOS5.

For this weeks PhotoFriday, “Slick,” I was going for the ‘superficially impressive’ meaning of the word. To be fair, I have no reason to believe that these guys are not deep and meaningful types… They were seen in Tokyo last year.

Please also vote for my entry in last weeks challenge, “Animal.” I’m entry number 220.

It’s odd to feel a sense of loss for someone you never knew. The last time I can remember that this happened was when Douglas Adams died ten years ago. There are not many people like them.

What else can I add that has not already been said? Honestly, I’m not even going to try. Instead, here is a selection of links that I think hit the nail right on the head.

• Alma telescope opens its eyes – Awesome. In the original sense of the word.
• Mercury’s Explosive Volcanic History – Both beautiful and fascinating.
• Round Ireland with a Fridge – The Movie based on Tony Hawks bestseller – Full movie for a limited time only…

This weeks PhotoFriday theme is “Animal.” This animal was fast moving hence the slight blur but it was amazing to see this little fellah at such a short range. This was in Kamikochi, Japan. (I really wanted to include a picture from the Muppets but, for obvious reasons, I prefer to use one of my own images…)

I’ve been playing around with Google+ more-or-less since it launched, but I’m not sold on it yet. After a bit of thought, I think it’s because there’s a fundamental disconnect between the kinds of behaviour that it encourages and the kinds of behaviour that it’s actually good at. Or maybe I’m just using it wrong. Either way, I’ll explain my reasoning here.

First, I should describe my frame of reference. I use both Twitter and Facebook, but I like the former much more.

I’m 75% of the way to becoming a dad for the first time. What better way of displaying that progress — for a programmer at least — than as a Mac application? (Not currently available in the App Store.)

I thought for this weeks PhotoFriday theme, simply being “Inside” wasn’t quite enough. It had to show being inside which also implies that there’s an outside visible. So, here I was in Ireland, sat inside the car, waiting for the rain to subside. I thought that that made this a decent entry.

Please also vote for my entry in last weeks challenge, “Glowing.” I’m entry number 184.

• Extreme Tidying Up – “He is a Swiss artist and comedian, who may or may not have an OCD problem.”

I’d walked across this square, in the City of London, for weeks before, one evening, I went past at dusk and saw that the pavement was “Glowing,” which, by strange coincidence, is this weeks PhotoFriday theme.

Please also vote for my entry in last weeks challenge, “Near.” I’m entry number 164.