PowerbyProxi has recently announced a world first in wirelessly recharging. The video demonstrates a rechargeable AA battery in conjunction with a 3 dimensional wireless power transmitter that allows for the recharging of batteries while they remain in the device. For more information see www.powerbyproxi.com.
iPad – almost a computer?
May 18, 2010 By 2 Comments
I refer to my iPhone as a “sometimes phone” and now my iPad as “almost a computer”.
There’s been plenty written about the iPad so i will keep this brief. I picked mine up just over a week ago on the trip to San Francisco. The guys will vouch for my daily pilgrimages to the Apple Store – not for the iPad, i picked that up on the first day…ughmm first hour in San Fran, in fact – but for the case. The case is crucial to the usability of the iPad, without it it’s really hard to use and it is the case that is now on 3 week back-order on the Apple Store not the iPad…go figure.
I think the iPad is another game changer and here’s why:
- Social – the iPad is very social. My kids play multi-player games on it. It’s so easy to share, physically, with others in meetings or social gatherings. It brings the internet into the lounge and out of the study.
- Simple – kids get it in seconds. I can see one eventually in our kitchen area holding recipes…maybe my partner might even use it.
- Awesome for sales - as a sales tool the iPad will become indispensable, because it is way more social, shareable than a laptop. Sales material including multi-media will look awesome on the iPad.
- Games – games will be big on the iPad. I’ve heard reference to a multi-player racing game on the iPad where two participant steer their cars around a track using their iPhones…cool. Now imagine extending the track with multiple iPads…social
But, in the opening I said it’s almost a computer. For me I will probably still need to travel with a laptop. I can do basic note taking on the iPad and simple spreadsheeting. I also need to be able to sign documents on the go and my tablet PC was great for this. I can sign with my finger on the iPad but it’s pretty naff. Things will get better, with app upgrades. Getting docs on and off the iPad is also a bit of mission – email seems to be the simplest route. The iPad also seems to have ignored the concept of a file system so each app is its own “walled garden” i.e. you can’t share docs between apps – this is a pain.
My current favourite app is MindNode. This app allows you to make Mind Maps – I use it for taking notes in meetings. The other must haves for me are GoodReader, Pages and iAnnotate – check them out.
$1.5b on broadband – i don’t get it
February 21, 2009 By Leave a Comment
I don’t get why the New Zealand tax payer needs to spend $1,5b on delivering fibre-optic broadband to the masses. According to Gartner 43% of NZ households had Broadband access in 2007. Admittedly its DSL but for the average home punter it’s OK and it’s getting better. Our three leading Telco’s say they can do it and they don’t need the govt money
- sure they have a vested interest.
So what are we going to do with better broadband? We’re going to watch more YouTube and download more movies i.e. spend more on US derived content, wow that’s got to be good for NZ – more mindless drivel. I don’t think it will make me faster at reading Stuff and NZHerald and if i ever become a Facebooker i’m sure its my typing speed that will be my biggest handicap.
Where’s the economic benefit in this for New Zealand? Sure, some will argue it provides a platform for New Zealand businesses to promote and sell their products and services overseas. BUT, if you’re going to do that then you host your web-site in the CLOUD and guess what the CLOUD doesn’t need the NZ fibre-optic network, cos it lives in the US and Europe.
In my experience the biggest issue we face in developing Internet based businesses from New Zealand is getting the market development strategy right. The Internet is a very big place to pitch a tent. The problem is not an infrastructure one for NZ based Internet plays, the problem is how do you grow and promote a business globally. You do this very carefully, one step at a time using the established channels – viral marketing, Internet advertising and social networks. Perhaps the $1.5b would be better spent by making it available to NZ businesses that are trying to do this (oops, now i have a vested interest! didn’t see that coming).
BMW Oracle Trimaran
December 9, 2008 By Leave a Comment
MAN, say what you want about the BMW Oracle vs Alinghi court fight, also the fact that this BIG BOYS TOYS thing seems inappropriate as we head into a global recession, but boy would i like to see this thing racing!
For more picies see bmworacleracing.com
It’s Xmas – i’ve gone to the light!
December 9, 2008 By Leave a Comment
OK, so I’ve been looking over the shoulder enviously at all those Mac users for some time. What is it that makes them gush, oooh and arghhh so much about their machines? Why do I as a mere Windows users feel so second rate? Why do i not LOVE my machine the way adoring Apple users do?
SO…I’ve ventured to the WHITE SIDE, to find out…My very first computer was an Apple IIe so i feel like i’m coming home…but i’ve been a Windows users for 20 years now…so can i do it?…painlessly?
Why have i ventured forth on such a productivity destroying mission? Well my four year old PC is suffering from bloatware, it got decidely slower about a month ago when Bill downloaded the latest CPU sapping patch. What’s more the writing was on the wall – while i was nice and comfy in WindowsXP and OfficeXP i wasn’t going to be able to stay there for another year. So given the choice of Vista + Office 2008 or Mac + Office 2008 I’ve punted for the latter.
What i bought: 24″ iMac + MS Office 2008 (some things i just couldn’t let go of).
First impressions: for a week I tracked my new Mac online as it was delivered via China. I watched with high expectations at around 8:30 the other morning when the courier tracking system proclaimed that it was “In Wellington and out for deliver” – time 7:30am. Expectations rising, Mac likely to arrive through the door any minute. Morning comes and goes. Lunch comes and goes. Early afternoon and still no sign…arghhh….where is it??? A call through to the courier….it’s on the road, it will be there soon…but i have to leave the office soon…panic setting in…where is it??? call from the courier, it well be there in 10 minutes…yee haa, start dancing a jig around the office (why? i don’t know, it must be a Mac thing?). The courier is here, but he only has one box…that’s strange…sign for it and tell everyone in the office “it’s here!”…unwrap the plain brown box and find one of those pretty white boxes inside…a bit like Russian dolls…pull out the WHITE box, temperature rising, rip open the white box…oooohhhh, arghhh, my it is VERY PRETTY so very very much prettier than my tired old PC. BUT, strange again, only one plug, where’s all the cables? no need for a power box? Turn it on….ooooggg arrggghhh…hello in 30 different languages flying across the screen…it’s just so pretty…heads turning in the office…a general cry of “i want one too”…well “you cant have it, it’s mine!”…
OK, I’ve turned it on, got it connected to the network and bugger me if i can’t figure out instantly how to get working…this is going to take some time…installed MacOffice and another very strange thing…even Microsoft can make their icons look cool on a Mac! fancy that.
OK, I’m back on my PC as i need to get some work done. Clearly the holiday project is going to be unlearning everything Windows and learning everything Mac. 10 years of short-cut keys out the proverbial window…i guess that’s progress!
Stay tuned, I’ll let you know when I’m productive again! Now how do i migrate 10 years worth of email?
iPhone pricing
July 9, 2008 By Leave a Comment
Well no surprises from Vodafone with their iPhone pricing announcement. I’m sure there will be lots of fuming punters out there. It seems the basic patter is “New Zealand is expensive (cell-phone duopoly after all) and we’re just pricing the iPhone at the same rate as other high end phones…in New Zealand”.
That said, the iPhone is obviously a seriously cool piece of kit…it will change the world(maybe not NZ at these prices)…but i certainly wasn’t that keen on the previous non-3G / locked version. So i went out and bought a LG Viewty (an iPhone want-a-be). This puppy:
- is 3G,
- has a 5 mega-pixel camera,
- takes divx movies,
- has a touch screen – so is great for texting,
- can browse the web,
- can be used as a modem, and
- available on any plan
I never used to think having a camera in your phone was a big deal until i bought the Viewty. I use it heaps with the kids, just to grab those little clips that you’d otherwise pass up. Given that its camera is significantly better than the iPhones, i’m not convinced that i will trade up / across. As always individual choice of product comes down to what you’re going to use them for.
Another observation…phone web browsing…i’ve had it for a few years on various phones and its always worked at a ponderously slow rate (i’m sure Vodafone slows it down deliberately to try and get you into the pay Vodafone Live service). Well i just installedOpera Mini and what a revelation that is. Opera have a bank of servers that compress and reformat web content before its sent to your phone. This is seriously cool…Opera runs really fast and the pages are instantly readable without scrolling all over the place.
For those of you queuing for your iPhone enjoy the weather, i think we’re going to crack 10 degrees in Wellington on Friday! I think i will stick with what i’ve got for now…
