My immediate reaction was to stop filling the car, head over to the cash register and politely explain that I wouldn't be using that petrol station again, as long as they were willing to "sell-out their customers and their right to some piece and quiet".
Sadly, I thought that this was going to be the start of an unstoppable new advertising trend, where we'd all suffer increasingly unbearable amounts of noise pollution. After all, petrol stations quite happily surround their service counter with confectionery (whilst obesity is a major problem) and keep cigarettes in plain view, which pretty much sums up what they think of their customers.
Happily, it appears that a significant number of other customers have either complained or moved to other petrol stations ... and that PumpTalk has been turned off (at least, at the petrol stations I visit) ! So, it seems that if we all quietly state our concerns and shop elsewhere, that we can make a difference for the better.
Tara's skiing improved at lot this year. With the exception of the most extreme runs, we were able to cover most of the mountain, including Spargos.
Now, it's back to work ... and time to start saving for next year !
The iTunes application store brings the same seamless, instant gratification experience to applications that it did for music. Combined with the always connected 3G networking, means it will be a juggernaut that sets a new bar for everyone else. The applications, many of the good ones are free, show a lot of promise, but still lack maturity. These days, I look for networked applications that run (or are accessible) everywhere; in the web browser, on Mac OS X, on Linux, on mobile phone browsers, and native for the iPhone and N95. Nothing less will do !
Social networking is a hot bed of activity, the more you look, the more you find. Providing bridges between the various networks, as well as data portibility is
Developments and interest in building automation is gradually increasing. It good to see moves towards a more open and standards based industry and less fragmentation due to proprietary protocols. The recent announcement of Open Remote, which is support by some heavy hitters, will be an interesting development to watch.
Meanwhile, the pair of local magpies that live nearby are visiting on a regular basis, pigging-out on raw meat and preparing for the breeding season. Typically, they'll bring their young fledgling down, once it has learnt to (sort of) fly.
Since I'm developing a mobile phone application, I need to keep up with this ...
Useful ... The Great Big, Constantly Updated, Australian iPhone FAQ v2.0
Sad, but no great surprise ... LEAKED: Telstra iPhone Plans -- and they'll break the bank
Good for us hackers ... iPhone OS 2.0 Unlocked
:)
Clearly, the blog-o-sphere is going to be drowning in (infinitely recycled) iPhone 2.0 news.
First week working on a new project. Saving 5 hours commuting each week is excellent, especially if I spend half of that time doing some much needed exercise. Best of all, this project combines the social networking trend with communications within a business organization ... so, I'm continuing to surf the front of the technology wave.
Bringing my development environment up to the latest versions (Fedora 9, Eclipse 3.4 and so on and on and on) has been fairly painless, it's getting easier all the time, but quite time consuming ... because there are so many tools and libraries. Just keeping up with software development these days is a full time effort, there is obviously a lot of change, particularly now that the move to network-based applications is well under way, but still not yet mature (just look at how many RIA AJAX / Flash framework choices there are).
Another bonus of working from home, is that a pair of magpies for several yearsnow, having been bringing their offspring (during the June to September breeding season) down to my front lawn for a free feed. They spend all day, continuously hunting for food for their demanding baby birds. It's an entertaining break for a few minutes from hacking ...
The Mount Dandenong Observatory (officially renamed SkyHigh), now re-opened, is a good place to stop and check-out the view. The entrance sign mentions a $2 fee for motorbike entry to the car park, but the attendant just waved me through (thanks !). I caught up with Cara and Tara who had lunch at the restaurant (I was running late ... as always). Sounds like the buffet lunch is pretty ordinary ... especially for $35, I suppose you are really paying for the view.
The gardens are nice to walk around. The (not-so-secret ... there are signposts !) Secret Garden was closed. The maze is fun for kids and the hedges need to grow some more (it hasn't been established for very long) ... but, for $6, you might want to re-consider.
The challenge these days is to leverage various social networking sites for blogging, micro-blogging, photographs, video, personal and professional networking ... and try to make it appear as a coherent whole. Fortunately, initiatives like open-social and data portability, as well as good old competition ... is making it easier to combine all these things.
Lake Jindabyne Hotel is highly recommended. The rooms look directly out over the lake, just a 100 metres away. A bonus is that you can park your bike right outside your (reasonably priced) room
(if you split it 3 ways).
You can have a drink and eat dinner on a high balcony, overlooking the lake ... whilst reflecting on the events of the day.
Of course, there is no reason why you shouldn't "reflect" out loud !
Yeah, agree with you that taking photos with phone is very convenient, but kills battery fast. Luckily you have bought... read more
on Nokia N95 camera