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N78 – part 2

Ok, have phoned Chadstone Vodafone to ask them to make sure that they have a phone in stock for tomorrow as it is the soonest we can get in to swap the phone.  However they can not guarantee they will have one in stock!

They have some (but will not say how many, and will not put one on hold for even 24 hours as ours is technically DOA!)

We are heading to a big fail, unless they just swap the phone out tomorrow I will not be happy.   I think part of the issue comes from the fact I know more than the sales people about the phones 🙂

The catch is they were doing very well up until this point.  We walked past the shop on Saturday saw they had the advertising and asked about the phone.  The guy went out the back, unboxed a phone and brought it out with a battery and it fired up.  All in 5 min, very slick. Thus why we brought it then and ther.  We had tried to see the phone a month earlier at Organiser World in the city.  They brought out the box and said see this is the phone…  thus they missed ou on the sale that vodafone got:-)

Will keep you updated 🙂

N78

N78 Unboxing - Vodafone Australia Version 1/10Well tonight I was going to write an entry on my N78 that was purchased yesterday…  but there is a small issue..

The camera button doesn’t work on it :-(..  So off to vodafone tomorrow and try and get it sorted.

Couple of quick observations.

Observations on the device. I like my N95’s screen, and the n78 is much smaller, and the keypad does some getting use to. The GPS in side by side driving tests was fine, the FM transmitter is a great feature, the head phone jack at the top is also very nice.

N78 Unboxing - Vodafone Australia Version 8/10Seriously turning a phone on, then setting up the software, then getting the software to update, then getting that software to update, then installing newer firmware.  To complicated.  Apple and Nokia are both the same in this.  It is a phone, but the underlying structures have a long way to go before it is all seamless.

If you want an entry level device to the N-series range do consider it…(pending how long it takes to get the camera button sorted that is)

N78 Unboxing - Vodafone Australia Version 10/10

nokia email

http://email.nokia.com/

“About Nokia Email service

What does Nokia Email service do?

Nokia Email service automatically delivers email from your current email address to your Nokia device.

You do not have to change your email address.

Nokia Email service enables you to do the following on your Nokia device:

  • View, respond, forward, compose and delete emails
  • Manage your email inbox, outbox, drafts, and sent folders”

Thoughts so far it is a 1.6 meg download once you give Nokia all your details and first born.  However it never asked me where to install.  Granted I did say I have a N95, not the N958gb but that is only because the 8gb was not an option.

Phones list currently is, E51, E61, E65, E66, E71, E9,0 N73, N80, N81, N95 plus I am sure all the variations there is of each of these model numbers 😉

But the joy is it works.  My email is on my phone.  Yet another reason to leave the umpc behind and get a bluetooth keyboard.

it is nicely laid out and it just plain works.  Good on you Nokia.

Nokia betalabs now has comments up as well…

More boomgate madness…

Here is today’s commute to work…  this time we were one car back at the railway crossing, so I decided to film people driving through the flashing lights…

And still have not heard back from “The Leader” yet either 🙂

and some one posted a comment as to who cares..

I’ll leave it to Top Gear to show you what happens when you don’t care.

The Face of Google?


The Face of Google?

When Google Street View Australia went live, there were of course some images that made it through…

This is one of them 🙂

12 Patonga Dr, Patonga, NSW Of course they removed it.. but not before the screen dump appeared…

and the SMH has some more mistakes as well.

Street View Australia…

Google  has turned on street View Australia.  but it is not just Capital Cities.  Places like Broome have been done as well.

This image shows the extent for beyond Melbourne for example.

This is the google video for street video Australia…

and more info here on the Google Australia blog

But there are interesting issues as well.  take here for example….

Notice the bits missing. this is not due to any privacy issue.  My GPS always freaks out going through this area called the Black Spur.  The reason, tree density.  The trees are so thick here, that it is hard for the gps to get a fix, espically when moving at speed.   (from the Kml Page this kml shows what i mean)

And round the same area is a road called The Acheron Way.  A single lane dirt road.. and even that has been done, but it also has issues with tree density.

And here are photos of the type of car that Google used.  These were taken in Toorak on December 2 2007. (Click for bigger versions)

Google Street View - Australian Car - Inside

Google Street View - Australian Car

I have also updated the previous post (on boom gate madness) with an iframe to show the google street view in use. By adding in these 360 views you can dramatically expand out a users understanding of an environment.

However you can’t go passed this video to show the power of google maps.

small update :- channel 10 on the late news on 5/8/08 says google street view invades privacy. They of course then go on to say how google will blank out faces or things if you ask them.  Then as the do the voice over on the story they show standard  stock footage of people walking across a pedestrian crossing.  I don’t think they get it yet.

Boom gates madness

I stole the title from the Wednesday July 30 Edition of the Moorabbin Glen Eira Leader. (credit where credit is due:-))

boomgate illegal crossing 1 of 5One of my pet hates is railway crossings and the way people drive them. So whilst waiting for the bus (my other pet hate at the moment is my broken arm which meant I wasn’t at work and had to take public transport) last Friday at 2 in the afternoon I took photos at the North Road Frankston Line railway crossing. For the purpose of showing what I mean.

boomgate illegal crossing 2 of 5According to the road rules you are not allowed to cross a railway crossing at any point when the red lights are flashing!  It has nothing to do with the status of the boom gate.  None, a lot of railway crossings do not have boom gates, only flashing red lights.

Here is the Text From Victorian Road Rules. Part 8 Traffic signs and road markings (Rules 88-108) [PDF, 146KB, 15 pp.]

123. Entering a level crossing when a train or tram is approaching etc.
A driver must not enter a level crossing if—
(a) warning lights (for example, twin red lights or rotating red lights) are
operating or warning bells are ringing; or

The interest bit is point one, not a sub sub clause, but the very first point here!  Now to reality of railway crossings I deal with. I travel over the North Road Ormond Rail crossing twice a day every working day on my daily commute.  Now two or three times a week I may get caught by a train.  It happens, big deal.  And occasionally I am one of the say first 5 cars in my lane.  So train goes passed gates go up and you all know what happens.  The drag race starts.  The lights are still flashing.  If I am not the lead car I will move up to the lights but not cross until time is up as much as I can.  This works until you are the road block!  Image sitting in your lane blocking traffic, all the while some idiot behind you is sitting on their horn. All because you are doing what you are LEGALLY meant too.  All for a less than a minute whilst the lights still flash.

The best crossing in my area is where the railway crossing goes over Neerim road.  The put in a set of traffic lights.  Suddenly no one crosses the Red Traffic light.  Flashing red lights and it is on for young and old however.

boomgate illegal crossing 3 of 5Now on July 30, the Leader has to story thanks to Victoria Police handing out press releases about an operation at my crossing and others in the area.  According to the paper, and I am going to presume they are working off the earlier of the two press releases says 14 people were charged at two level crossings in my area.  The later presses release says 46 were charged at these two crossings! However the press release is more generic so I will give the paper the benefit of the doubt.

010820086065_NLTBut the other madness is here is that the local paper could have had a whole story that went way beyond the copy and paste of the press release. Image if the paper had taken the time to send one reporter down to the level crossings on any given day, forked out for a little foldaway chair and a thermos of coffee and given them a camera.  At this point the story should have been. “Cops catch 14 people, we catch 400”.  Or say “Speed Camera generate Revenue and require no Police to lift a finger, Railway Crossings require police to be on site, guess which one the Police Target!” O.k., so that is a bit long :-), but then I am not a headline writer :-).

010820086066_NLTHere are some numbers to consider.  If the fine was $500 (it is up to $567 according the Leader’s article) and 12 people cross illegally on an average crossing, we have $6000, times two for both directions; we have $12,000 in revenue for the State Government for 1 crossing.  Say that one crossing has 50 movements per day that is $600,000 in one day.  Now if there were 50 crossings like this that is $30,000,000 dollars in one day.  I am sure that money could go a long way in helping to make all level crossings safer.

Perhaps this would have been a better story for the Leader to have written.  Granted would have taken a bit longer than the press release rehash 🙂

P.S
I have emailed this blog post to the author of the story, will let you now what happens :-))