musings of a geek - Latest Comments

Re: So, Julia’s Shoe To Go On eBay?

SeanSlater — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 03:35:52 -0000

It's OK... we can all rest now, the shoe has been returned. http://news.smh.com.au/breakin...

Re: National News Program Spreading Racist Jokes?

moldor — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 21:38:01 -0000

The first and third ones are just.. unfunny... The "assimilate" one is actually quite clever. I think people take the whole "racism" thing a little too far sometimes.

Re: NBN: Want A Clue As To When Your Area Comes Online?

Martin Eddy — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 05:49:29 -0000

I agree.

Re: NBN: Want A Clue As To When Your Area Comes Online?

Michael Wyres — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 04:02:29 -0000

Of course...but the ones they've given the go ahead - (above the line) - are an interesting selection of announced and non-announced rollout sites.

Anything below the line - (and remember this document is from October) - could just as easily pop above the line tomorrow as anything else.

Re: NBN: Want A Clue As To When Your Area Comes Online?

Martin Eddy — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 03:49:21 -0000

Actually Mike, except for the first 30 entries(the ones above the black line) the sites are listed in alphanumeric order by POI identifier eg starts 2ALB and ends with 8DRW

Good find though.

Re: Browser Update 2011

Michael Wyres — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 20:57:54 -0000

Indeed, a remarkably small percentage for IE.

Re: Browser Update 2011

Dan Camper Van — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 20:44:53 -0000

Just FYI, here are some recent results of browser user history for a certain (Private) movie tracker. Their userbase currently stands at around 25k but interesting to note that IE is ranked extremely low on their stats for what browser is used amongst members.

http://i.imgur.com/PyzwM.jpg

Re: Idea: Show Current Affairs on Current Affairs Shows

Michael Ferencz — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:17:08 -0000

I've recently taken to watching those one of those shows since I found a current affairs/today tonight bingo board on the ausgamers website. I doubt I can keep it up much longer. The sheer amount of airtime given to bogans or other subhuman types is staggering, not to mention it probably kills more brain cells than alcohol.

I find it sad that shows such as these have been embraced by the public. I don't see the attraction given the journalistic standard couldn't possibly get any lower.

Cheers,
Mike (a Delimiter reader, occasional comment poster, and constant cringer at Alain's anti-NBN posts)

Re: Idea: Show Current Affairs on Current Affairs Shows

Michael Wyres — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 20:24:53 -0000

It was more the TV Tonight - (David Knox's excellent media blog, specifically focussed on television) - story that got me a bit ranty here.

As I suggested above, it has been many a year since I have actively watched either.

Re: Idea: Show Current Affairs on Current Affairs Shows

John Farrell — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 19:19:12 -0000

Michael, how does an erudite person such as yourself bear to notice the existence of such twaddle? 6:30 is time for SBS News, the news which gives you the shallowest of coverage of what's happening in the world, as opposed to the travesties on the other stations. ACA and TT are aimed at less educated people who have forgotten how horrified they were when the same stories were run 6 months earlier; they're not aimed at people like you.

Re: Idea: Show Current Affairs on Current Affairs Shows

Norman Partington — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 03:42:07 -0000

It will never happen

The only decent "current affairs" show was Frontline

Re: Idea: Show Current Affairs on Current Affairs Shows

Michael Wyres — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 03:16:11 -0000

I can't remember the last time I actively watched either of them. If it is 10 or 12 years I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest.

When Media Watch and TV Tonight point these things out, I realise what a good thing that keeping away from them is!

Re: Idea: Show Current Affairs on Current Affairs Shows

Stuart Brightwell — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 03:07:39 -0000

You are right - that timeslot (6.30 - 7pm) is a black hole where the viewer is likely to lose IQ points, and gain excess blood pressure. Time to cut the crap!

Re: Facebook Ads: Does Anyone Check Them?

Michael Wyres — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 21:47:36 -0000

That's quite funny!

I guess it proves that Google AdSense works pretty well!

Re: Facebook Ads: Does Anyone Check Them?

Melanie Brann — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 21:37:48 -0000

I had to laugh at the fact that one of the websites you are complaining about here is in the list of sponsored links on the right.

Re: Yes, The Solar Panels Work

Michael Wyres — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 07:05:10 -0000

Presuming that our bill remains "halved" - (an assumption only, obviously a number of factors) - it would take us about 3.5 years to recoup the outlay and we have a relatively low end 1.5MW system.

The best daily result I've seen so far saw it generate about 12kWh. This bill saw us draw only 6.6kWh from the grid daily.

Re: Yes, The Solar Panels Work

Anthony Agius — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 04:43:41 -0000

Based on that saving of your regular bill and taking into consideration how much the panels cost ya, how long until the cost of the panels is recouped in savings from lower bills?

I'm considering solar panels too and I'm not quite sure I want to plonk down a few grand for savings that may not eventuate for 10-15 years.

Re: That Political F-Bomb

SeanSlater — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 05:25:07 -0000

Agree completely mate.

Re: Barnaby Joyce: Pwned!

Stephen Collins — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 01:39:51 -0000

Gold

Re: iOS5 Over The Air Updating

SimonReidy — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 22:00:45 -0000

I know dude.I was just adding my loosely related 2 cents :)

Re: iOS5 Over The Air Updating

Michael Wyres — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 21:58:57 -0000

I make no comment onto the impressiveness or not of the actual update, just how impressive the over the air factor is... ;)

Re: iOS5 Over The Air Updating

SimonReidy — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 21:33:39 -0000

If only it actually noticeably fixed any bugs, it would be rather impressive, but from what I'm gathering iOS 5.01 is still riddled with bugs (including the infamous battery drain) and we can expect iOS 5.02 very soon. However I agree the OTA update system is impressive and handy for regular users (for jailbreakers it is however The Devil, and I will never get to use it! ;) )

Re: Opposition “NBN” Plan To Cost More?

Gaycarboys — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 03:32:32 -0000

oh look, the libtards trying to BS re the NBN. Mal knows full well the NBN is the only way to go. No point in an NBN that has copper anywhere in the network

Re: Opposition “NBN” Plan To Cost More?

gmanual — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 23:13:27 -0000

I have been thinking about this a lot recently, the FTTN proposal may be cheaper upfront but has such a high overhead in rolling out an active distribution network to support it. Pretty much is wasted money if the plan is then later to decommission the active nodes and replace it with a passive optical network FTTH solution...

The only realistic proposal I can see to slim down the #NBN budget would be to limit the rollout of the FTTH provisioning to only in metro areas and beefing up the fixed wireless coverage. But we are in a somewhat odd situation where the #NBN is actually being rolled out to rural areas first and it would be political suicide to change this up considering the predominantly conservative base living in these areas and I just don't see it happening.

The Coalition seem to keep finding themselves between a rock and a hard place on the #NBN. I personally think the #NBN technology/design is solid, if the Coalition would just accept that and looked for ways at minimising costs they might just start acting like a conservative party instead of this insane negative spin party getting them into these tough spots.

That said I think the cost is a mute point, as a country we can afford it (and will probably have many hidden economic benefits as well). Technically it is an investment in NBN Co who will generate revenue from the #NBN project and repay the government with interest anyway.

Re: NBN: What Will IPTV Look Like?

Michael Wyres — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 05:34:52 -0000

Nothing at all.

However, the problem with current Fetch TV solutions in Australia is that the Fetch TV boxes in people's homes are sharing their bandwidth needs with every other device in the home jockeying for access to the bandwidth.

In an NBN world, the Fetch TV box could - (and probably would) - be given a completely separate connection from your basic internet service, and it wouldn't have to be from the same provider.

Say you like iiNet's basic internet package, but you're not so sure about their deals for Fetch TV? No biggie - get the basic internet from iiNet over one connection, and Fetch TV from, say, Internode - over another connection.

Remember - four distinct data services - (as well as two distinct voice connections) - can come across your single NBN fibre simultaneously, and don't have to come from the same RSP.