tmobile blackberry

19 full applications for broadband fund received

2008-10-14T05:29:00.017-07:00

19 full applications for broadband fund received
MED says interest in Broadband Investment Fund is strong

What to Call this Post...

2008-10-14T05:29:00.015-07:00

How about Blogging isn't for cowards? Or maybe Linda's other big day off? A funny thing happened on the way home? Playing good samaritan has it's spinoffs?

This is really hard for me to publish, but what the ... Close your eyes, Linda, hold your breath and jump!
Ok, here goes... Oh, yeas, and I have sat on it for nearly a week...

Well, thanks to Our English Lass, who is still in one piece, I have a few Tuesday's off until she becomes Mother and Child. Having just had a week off the Monday-itis was massive yesterday, so I gratefully took her suggestion and had the day off.

Popped off to best friend's house, put in my Avon order. Stunning stuff really, and not worth blogging about, I know.

Came home with a piece of chockie on my tummy, feeling good about the lippies she gave me. Did a u-turn before getting home and went off to see Junior's mate who is about to turn sixteen. Thought I might buy him a pair of shoes for his birthday so he thinks he's got his pressy and gets a bit of a surprise with the rest of it.

Knock on door. Door opens. In walks Linda. Hello D, would you like me to buy you some shoes for your birthday? Oh, you already have new shoes? Excellent. What, that pair down there, next to the pair of shoes that belongs to Junior?

Uh, didn't I drop Junior off at school this morning and wasn't he wearing those shoes?

Junior!!! I call several times... Where is he, D? In your bedroom hiding behind your chest of drawers? Come here you gutless wonder.

D seems to think that last bit is funny. Right about that time I am starting to feel sick. He emerges. Finally. The Emergent Kid.

Put those shoes on. (They could not have been any more obvious if they were painted yellow with flashing signs anouncing Truanter This Way...) Get in the car.

Where are we going, asks Junior. I stop outside hubbie's place of work. In here. We are going to see your father.

Now comes the begging...

Please don't tell Dad. Please don't tell Dad. Please don't tell Dad... etc etc etc. All in incredible monotone.

Get inside, anounce to Junior - You tell him. I sit down and wait for it...

And of course, the upshot of it is that, yet again, I have to go to the school and enquire as to WHY he is not at school and we have not been informed...

Now, Don't know if I told you this, but the dean in charge of dear darling Junior was going to put him on a principals report. Yesterday, I assumed. Get him some counselling. Plus careers help, so that we can pull him out in Sptember, on his 16th birthday if things don't go well...

Dean not available, see his form overlord. Thingy, whatever he is called. Adviser? Deputy or assistant principal?

Oh, he knew Junior was going onto a principal's report at sometime... No, the normal thing is to wait until a child is away three days in a row before contacting the parents/carers. Oh, really, away seven schooldays in a row last thing last term? And not here yesterday or until now today? Doesn't that make it NINE days? Isn't the advice that he is not there overdue by three times?

Find the head counsellor. That in itself was a miracle in a school this size. We see the counsellor together.

Guess what? We don't look like a happy family... Being sanguine, of course, it is the ultimate insult. Happy? I hate being asked that question. I was happy until you asked me... Strange, I know. And not very condusive to a good chat with the school counsellor. Hmm, my Mum never even got to see my counsellor, so I suppose I am doing well. (Well, what else do you do when your student's Mother turns up with the truant in hand. Apart from sack the paid truancy officer? Wait till I find him...)

So, why should junior stay at school, or even be there in the first place? For the first time in a long while it Is All About Him. He's not going to get a job just on his good looks. Unless.... Nah....

See, I have to push through here. I have been sick to my stomach this morning, I am still reeling and ready to crawl into a hole called mental illness, resign from the noble sisterhood of motherhood, whatever... But in the end, it's all about Junior.

I sit there in front of him and tell his counsellor (who probably hasn't seen all Junior's notes) that he has Asperger's syndrome, ADHD and a few more things to boot. That he didn't learn to read until he was ten years and nine months old, and then he taught himself on footrot flats books... That we have had an uphill battle right from the start. He didn't even talk until he was four, and then there were his muscular problems....

If I don't fight for my child, who will? Like a Paul Coleman song, not good enough for ... not bad enough for... Not good enough to just walk out there and take the world by storm, even if he does stand there and shake his fist at it with his opposition defiance disorder... Not bad enough to get the help he has always needed.

If I don't fight for my child, what will become of him? My heroes are the parents of the young lady with Down's Syndrome who stuck out the fight and saw her achieve her NZqa's or whatever, in a normal school and normal classes. But they were teachers, and knew how to fight.

I have given this school ample opportunity to teach my son, and was determined to make them do it, too, but they had time on their side. All they had to do was sit back and do nothing. And I am the baddy who has failed, who has allowed their son to become a truant, who could make him go to school (haha) but couldn't make him learn. Couldn't make him excited, or at least stop him from getting bored....

Well, the fight isn't over yet, and I am just going to get off my butt and run again. Go to aquarobics in the freezing cold, push my body to the limits, sore back and all. Keep my mental wits about me.

And as a Christian, I can say, to myself if not to you - 'having done all, to stand'. (Ephesians 6:13) Or my favourite - 'Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: For the LORD upholds him with His hand.' (Psalm 37 verse 24, and it's a ripper of a psalm in all it's total. Must go and read it up now. TTFN)

Thanks Duncan from Orcon

2008-10-14T05:29:00.013-07:00

Thanks Duncan from Orcon
I have a phone again, amazing! My internet has only failed 3 times today (it is of course only mid morning, but that's cool.

And in reply to the comment about how retro I am still having a phone line, think of it this way, it comes with the net and it means that relatives who are still more analogue don't have to pay me, but there's a thought, maybe the ones I don't care to hear from won't lol.

BlackBerry Storm specs and features

2008-10-14T05:29:00.011-07:00

BlackBerry Cool has the official BlackBerry Storm specs for you in one handy post. You're welcome! Read More

Huge News! VMware ESX 3i is free from 28 July!

2008-10-14T05:29:00.009-07:00

Huge News! VMware ESX 3i is free from 28 July!
Significant competitive move from VMware to counter the threat of Microsoft Hyper-V . . . not that 3i was expensive before, but this price is certainly better :) This is part of a new strategy kicking in after co-founder Diane Greene's departure. ex-Microsoft exec Paul Maritz is running the show now.

Read more in this article at Redmond Channel mag.

Verizon showing BlackBerry Storm commercials

2008-10-14T05:29:00.007-07:00

Verizon airs a BlackBerry Storm commercial on CBS before the device is announced to keep the hype at fever pitch. Read More

Vodafone CMO promotes the BlackBerry Storm (updated with pricing)

2008-10-14T05:29:00.005-07:00

Vodafone CMO promotes the BlackBerry Storm (updated with pricing)
Still not convinced that you want the BlackBerry Storm 9500? Listen to Vodafone CMO Frank Rovekamp.

Blackberry Media Player

2008-10-14T05:29:00.003-07:00

Oracle to buy project portfolio management player

2008-10-14T05:29:00.001-07:00

Oracle to buy project portfolio management player
Primavera latest target in Ellison's shopping spree

Safe Mode exists for the BlackBerry Bold

2008-10-14T05:28:00.001-07:00

The Safe Mode function, originally thought to launch with the BlackBerry Curve 8900, can now be found in OS 4.6 for the BlackBerry Bold. Read More

BlackBerry Javelin appears on T-Mobile Germany site as BlackBerry Curve 8900

2008-10-13T05:34:00.005-07:00

The BlackBerry Curve 8900 has made an appearance on the T-Mobile Germany website. The Curve 8900 was formally known as the BlackBerry Javelin. Read More

Blackberry Backlight Utility

2008-10-13T05:34:00.003-07:00

Microsoft enhances .Net, Windows Server

2008-10-13T05:34:00.001-07:00

Microsoft enhances .Net, Windows Server
Microsoft reveals an updated strategy to support composite applications

Microsoft goes further with software subscription model - Equipt

2008-10-13T05:33:00.013-07:00

Microsoft goes further with software subscription model - Equipt
From the press release from earlier this month:

"Microsoft Equipt offers consumers Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007, giving them the latest versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote for their personal and school projects; Windows Live OneCare, the all-in-one security and PC management service; Windows Live tools, such as Windows Live Mail, Windows Live Messenger and Windows Live Photo Gallery so they can connect and share with people they care about most; and Office Live Workspace, a new service from Microsoft that makes it easy to save documents to a dedicated online Workspace and share them with friends and classmates. Anytime a new version of Office or Windows Live OneCare is released, Microsoft Equipt customers will get the version upgrades as part of their subscriptions."

Cost is $US70 per year for up to 3 PCs. Pretty reasonable I think and improves the home user proposition versus Open Office and Google online services . . .

Are Microsoft's open-source actions enough?

2008-10-13T05:33:00.011-07:00

Microsoft could struggle pulling off an image change. Kathleen Lau reports Read More

Apple releases another mega-patch for Mac OS X

2008-10-13T05:33:00.009-07:00

Abnormally high number of patches for third-party software, says security researcher Read More

Mono 2.0 lets .Net apps run on Linux

2008-10-13T05:33:00.007-07:00

Mono 2.0 lets .Net apps run on Linux
.Net Framework 2.0 leveraged

Microsoft wants to fire your receptionist, are you and I next?

2008-10-13T05:33:00.005-07:00

Microsoft wants to fire your receptionist, are you and I next?
Every year robots get a little more capable. In Japan where there has been a short supply of security guards they've built security robots to patrols malls at night.

Now Microsoft are showing off there latest foray in robotics with a new rec... (more in the full post)

Blackberry File Manager

2008-10-13T05:33:00.003-07:00

Windows Server 2008 is my Desktop Workstation

2008-10-13T05:33:00.001-07:00

After hearing lots of good stuffs about this new SERVER product from Microsoft called Windows Server 2008, I took the decision to move from Windows Vista Ultimate to Windows Server 2008 Enterprise Edition

The good thing is, Windows Server 2008 can be configured as a fully featured desktop workstation. Your one stop guide for completing this ‘awesome’ task is here

Below is my laptop configuration:

1) Apple Macbook 2.4 GHz

2) 4 GB RAM

I have Windows Server 2008 Enterprise x86 Edition installed

Below is the list of software installed:

1) Apple Bootcamp

2) Microsoft Office 2007

3) Microsoft Visio 2007

4) Mozilla Firefox

5) Skype

6) Apple Quicktime

7) Apple iTunes

8 ) Windows Live

Live Writer
Live Messenger
Live Photo Gallery

9) Foxit PDF Reader

10) Flashget Download Manager

11) Virtual PC

12) Kaspersky Internet Security

13) tWhirl

14) Windows Mobile Device Center 6.1

This server is Fast, Sleek, and Customizable (in Features and Roles). That’s a huge benefit over Vista where many services get started no matter you use them.

I have also moved my development stuffs to a virtual environment now and virtual machines run quite fast than in Vista here. Yes, I am quite happy with Virtual PC 2007 and I don’t think I would install x64 version just for Hyper-V. The application support for x64 sucks!

Everything works good in my setup including sleep,shutdown and hibernate

So far, my experience of having Windows Server 2008 as my main desktop workstation is good and I think I will continue to stay on this for a long, long time until Windows 7 comes out

Student benifits!

2008-10-11T15:48:00.009-07:00

I'm currently doing a Bachelor of Communications and Information Technology at UCOL, Palmerston North.

A few days ago I received an email stating I am registered with the MSDN Academic Alliance: Online Software System. I visited the link included in the email and was very pleased to find out I have access to free downloads which include; Windows Vista Business, Windows 2008 Server, Visual Studio 2008 and many more! This is great, I can download hundreds of dollars worth of software for free.

I think I'll be reaching my monthly download quota very early this month!

http://www.e-academy.com/

NZ to see touch-screen Blackberry Storm

2008-10-11T15:48:00.007-07:00

NZ to see touch-screen Blackberry Storm
Vodafone expected to announce RIM's touchscreen response to the iPhone

What to Call this Post...

2008-10-11T15:48:00.005-07:00

What to Call this Post...
How about Blogging isn't for cowards? Or maybe Linda's other big day off? A funny thing happened on the way home? Playing good samaritan has it's spinoffs?

This is really hard for me to publish, but what the ... Close your eyes, Linda, hold your breath and jump!
Ok, here goes... Oh, yeas, and I have sat on it for nearly a week...

Well, thanks to Our English Lass, who is still in one piece, I have a few Tuesday's off until she becomes Mother and Child. Having just had a week off the Monday-itis was massive yesterday, so I gratefully took her suggestion and had the day off.

Popped off to best friend's house, put in my Avon order. Stunning stuff really, and not worth blogging about, I know.

Came home with a piece of chockie on my tummy, feeling good about the lippies she gave me. Did a u-turn before getting home and went off to see Junior's mate who is about to turn sixteen. Thought I might buy him a pair of shoes for his birthday so he thinks he's got his pressy and gets a bit of a surprise with the rest of it.

Knock on door. Door opens. In walks Linda. Hello D, would you like me to buy you some shoes for your birthday? Oh, you already have new shoes? Excellent. What, that pair down there, next to the pair of shoes that belongs to Junior?

Uh, didn't I drop Junior off at school this morning and wasn't he wearing those shoes?

Junior!!! I call several times... Where is he, D? In your bedroom hiding behind your chest of drawers? Come here you gutless wonder.

D seems to think that last bit is funny. Right about that time I am starting to feel sick. He emerges. Finally. The Emergent Kid.

Put those shoes on. (They could not have been any more obvious if they were painted yellow with flashing signs anouncing Truanter This Way...) Get in the car.

Where are we going, asks Junior. I stop outside hubbie's place of work. In here. We are going to see your father.

Now comes the begging...

Please don't tell Dad. Please don't tell Dad. Please don't tell Dad... etc etc etc. All in incredible monotone.

Get inside, anounce to Junior - You tell him. I sit down and wait for it...

And of course, the upshot of it is that, yet again, I have to go to the school and enquire as to WHY he is not at school and we have not been informed...

Now, Don't know if I told you this, but the dean in charge of dear darling Junior was going to put him on a principals report. Yesterday, I assumed. Get him some counselling. Plus careers help, so that we can pull him out in Sptember, on his 16th birthday if things don't go well...

Dean not available, see his form overlord. Thingy, whatever he is called. Adviser? Deputy or assistant principal?

Oh, he knew Junior was going onto a principal's report at sometime... No, the normal thing is to wait until a child is away three days in a row before contacting the parents/carers. Oh, really, away seven schooldays in a row last thing last term? And not here yesterday or until now today? Doesn't that make it NINE days? Isn't the advice that he is not there overdue by three times?

Find the head counsellor. That in itself was a miracle in a school this size. We see the counsellor together.

Guess what? We don't look like a happy family... Being sanguine, of course, it is the ultimate insult. Happy? I hate being asked that question. I was happy until you asked me... Strange, I know. And not very condusive to a good chat with the school counsellor. Hmm, my Mum never even got to see my counsellor, so I suppose I am doing well. (Well, what else do you do when your student's Mother turns up with the truant in hand. Apart from sack the paid truancy officer? Wait till I find him...)

So, why should junior stay at school, or even be there in the first place? For the first time in a long while it Is All About Him. He's not going to get a job just on his good looks. Unless.... Nah....

See, I have to push through here. I have been sick to my stomach this morning, I am still reeling and ready to crawl into a hole called mental illness, resign from the noble sisterhood of motherhood, whatever... But in the end, it's all about Junior.

I sit there in front of him and tell his counsellor (who probably hasn't seen all Junior's notes) that he has Asperger's syndrome, ADHD and a few more things to boot. That he didn't learn to read until he was ten years and nine months old, and then he taught himself on footrot flats books... That we have had an uphill battle right from the start. He didn't even talk until he was four, and then there were his muscular problems....

If I don't fight for my child, who will? Like a Paul Coleman song, not good enough for ... not bad enough for... Not good enough to just walk out there and take the world by storm, even if he does stand there and shake his fist at it with his opposition defiance disorder... Not bad enough to get the help he has always needed.

If I don't fight for my child, what will become of him? My heroes are the parents of the young lady with Down's Syndrome who stuck out the fight and saw her achieve her NZqa's or whatever, in a normal school and normal classes. But they were teachers, and knew how to fight.

I have given this school ample opportunity to teach my son, and was determined to make them do it, too, but they had time on their side. All they had to do was sit back and do nothing. And I am the baddy who has failed, who has allowed their son to become a truant, who could make him go to school (haha) but couldn't make him learn. Couldn't make him excited, or at least stop him from getting bored....

Well, the fight isn't over yet, and I am just going to get off my butt and run again. Go to aquarobics in the freezing cold, push my body to the limits, sore back and all. Keep my mental wits about me.

And as a Christian, I can say, to myself if not to you - 'having done all, to stand'. (Ephesians 6:13) Or my favourite - 'Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: For the LORD upholds him with His hand.' (Psalm 37 verse 24, and it's a ripper of a psalm in all it's total. Must go and read it up now. TTFN)

Blackberry TV and Movie Schedule

2008-10-11T15:48:00.003-07:00

Blackberry TV and Movie Schedule

NZ banks tackle phishing with boosted security

2008-10-11T15:48:00.001-07:00

NZ banks tackle phishing with boosted security
ASB and others roll out new site certifications

Auckland Uni showcases innovation

2008-10-11T15:47:00.007-07:00

Robotics, wireless and power technologies to be displayed Read More

Firefox extension blocks dangerous web attack

2008-10-11T15:47:00.005-07:00

Popular security tool for the Firefox browser upgraded Read More

Optus introduces unlimited calling plans in Australia

2008-10-11T15:47:00.003-07:00

Isn't competition in the mobile marketplace fantastic? It's a concept that unfortunately New Zealanders are missing out on due to the cosy duopoly that exists between our two mobile providers - Telecom New Zealand and Vodafone.

Optus have just launched unlimited "timeless" mobile plans into the Australian marketplace. For A$99 per month you get unlimited calling to other mobiles and landline phones in Australia as well as unlimited SMS and MMS messages. This $99 pack however isn't quite $99 - it requires the purchase of a A$14.95 mobile pack that gives you 200MB of included data.

For A$129 however you receive unlimited calling, SMS and MMS along with 2GB of data.

Now compare that to what you're paying in NZ. Competition really is a great thing.

Blackberry GPS Maps

2008-10-11T15:47:00.001-07:00

Blackberry GPS Maps

Auckland Uni showcases innovation

2008-10-11T15:45:00.001-07:00

Robotics, wireless and power technologies to be displayed Read More

Bell BlackBerry Storm page now live!

2008-10-10T15:29:00.005-07:00

The Bell BlackBerry Storm page is now live! And... that's pretty much all the info they have. Read More

Oracle and SAP fail to settle TomorrowNow lawsuit

2008-10-10T15:29:00.003-07:00

Two sides squabbling over Oracle's access to certain documents Read More

Auckland Uni showcases innovation

2008-10-10T15:29:00.001-07:00

Robotics, wireless and power technologies to be displayed Read More

The BlackBerry Cool 15 at the BlackBerry Developer Conference!!

2008-10-10T15:28:00.013-07:00

The BlackBerry Cool 15 is taking place on Monday, October 20th at the BlackBerry Developers Conference. Make sure to attend or REGISTER NOW to present! Read More

Oracle and SAP fail to settle TomorrowNow lawsuit

2008-10-10T15:28:00.011-07:00

Two sides squabbling over Oracle's access to certain documents Read More

So what is this MythTV anyway?

2008-10-10T15:28:00.009-07:00

OK so I have already talked here about why I prefer mythtv to MediaPortal, it’s not an exhaustive list but I think it makes a pretty compelling argument for Mythtv. However what makes an even stronger compelling argument for MP is its support for NZ's DVB-T broadcasts, and hence I use it. The latest from the mythtvnz mailing list is that Freeview HD is now working well in myth with the patches from pkendall, so hopefully it is just a case of getting the updates to ffmpeg etc into the main mythtv 'trunk' (is that what it called?) and we will be away!

Anyway I should get to the point of this post. I want to list a couple tips I picked up for improving mythtv here, as I alluded to earlier, myth does require more work than MP or GBPVR but it’s worth it:

1) Adding FM radio. I have no idea why this isn't included by default, it can't be hard and all other major HTPC programs have it. To get it in myth requires a bit of a hack, the setup instructions are here. As they note on the wiki page, it is a hack but looks like a plug-in in the end. It doesn't perform like a plug-in (in terms of sharing the card with recording etc) but it is good enough. Also this page gives an idea to the sort of changes to the menu structure that could be made if so desired.

2) By default myth only allows one job (such as commflagging, or a user job such as a special transcode) at a time. Assuming you are running a somewhat modern processor you can get away with a lot more, especially if you have a dual core. Under the 'general' settings in mythbackend setup, change the max number jobs to say 3 or 4. Also set mythcommflag to begin at the start of the show rather than wait until it has finished.

3) Make sure you enable plugins such as mythmusic, mythvideo and mythweb. If you are using Mythbuntu the Mythbuntu Control Center is the easiest way to change these settings. Mythweb in particular is great, and if you can successfully enable access through your router you can check out your computers status, and create recordings even when you are way from home.

That’s all can think of for now, but there are plenty of other settings worth investigating by hunting through the menus. There are some other good features that I never managed to fully implement, such as http://mythtv.org/wiki/index.php/Mythwelcome and automatic sleep/wakeup.

Next I will spill my thoughts on Media Portal, and the improvements made now we are at RC2.

BlackBerry Storm specs and features

2008-10-10T15:28:00.007-07:00

BlackBerry Cool has the official BlackBerry Storm specs for you in one handy post. You're welcome! Read More

Gizmodo BlackBerry Storm hands on

2008-10-10T15:28:00.005-07:00

Gizmodo BlackBerry Storm hands on
Gizmodo has another great hands on of the BlackBerry Storm.

Engadget BlackBerry Storm hands on

2008-10-10T15:28:00.003-07:00

Engadget has the first BlackBerry Storm hands on. We are soooo jealous. Read More

HP invites to Software Business Technology Optmisation Tour in Wellington

2008-10-10T15:28:00.001-07:00

Today I received an invitation that I am able to extend to you. HP is running the HP Software BTO Tour 2008 in Wellington, 2nd September 2008.

This half day event is ahppening at the Museum of New Zealand - Te Papa Tongarewa from 8:30am through 1:30pm.

There will be conference streams during the day, designed to give IT Professionals a more practical approach to IT Management.

I won't be attending the event though, because I will be in Auckland attending the Microsoft Tech Ed, and writing the Unofficial Tech Ed Blog while there...

BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 Coming to Spain this Fall

2008-10-09T12:02:00.017-07:00

BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 Coming to Spain this Fall
Telefonica is bringing the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 to Spain this fall. Pricing so far is undetermined.

What to Call this Post...

2008-10-09T12:02:00.015-07:00

Attending the IBM Forum 2008 in Wellington

2008-10-09T12:02:00.013-07:00

Cool, it's that time of the year again when the IBM Forum is on. I've attended previous events and it's always an interesting day.

Here's a bit about this event:

IBM Forum 2008 focuses on Sustainable Innovation, starting with the keynote, Ray Avery, a kiwi scientist and entrepreneur; founder CEO of Medicine Mondiale. Ray is developing sustainable products and technologies for world markets, such as his latest invention “Proteinforte”. Ray will be talking about global opportunities for high tech innovation in healthcare, education and infrastructure.

Also on the agenda, Edward Orange, Director of Lotus Software of IBM Asia Pacific, will be talking about Web 2.0 and how it can be leveraged by enterprises of all sizes to help revolutionise the way they conduct business, help employees collaborate more effectively and enhance their client outreach.

The agenda also features a session on 'Co-Web: re-mixing audio and video collaboration in the next generation of the Internet’ and ‘Demystifying SOA - driving business agility with service orientated business applications’, as well as insights into the latest advances in strategy and technology; customer stories and interactive demonstrations.

The full day event is happening in Wellington (11th August, Michael Fowler Centre), Auckland (14th August, Hyatt Hotel) and Christchurch (19th August, Convention Centre).

Registrations are open now.

Blackberry Personal Money Manager

2008-10-09T12:02:00.011-07:00

Blackberry Personal Money Manager

I love my new iPhone 3G, but will it blend?

2008-10-09T12:02:00.009-07:00

I love my new iPhone 3G, but will it blend?
Check this clip to see if the iPhone will blend.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLxq90xmYUs

O.J. Simpson guilty verdict could lead to malicious spam

2008-10-09T12:02:00.007-07:00

Anytime there's a big news story, spammers latch on to it, says security company Read More

Court orders spammers to pay US$236M to Iowa ISP

2008-10-09T12:02:00.005-07:00

Court orders spammers to pay US$236M to Iowa ISP
Couple bombarded ISP over a four-month period, says judge

Bell BlackBerry Storm confirmed, site up later today

2008-10-09T12:02:00.003-07:00

We've confirmed that Bell will be getting the BlackBerry Storm 9530! Read More

Squeezecenter and Softsqueeze - how to make a great centralised music server for the office

2008-10-09T12:02:00.001-07:00

Squeezecenter and Softsqueeze - how to make a great centralised music server for the office
Ingredients:

1x E4800 2.4GHz C2D workstation w/4GB RAM, 250GB HDD ~$1000NZD (It does some other tasks too)

2x Logitech Z2300 THX Cert 400w RMS 2.1 speakers ~$200NZDea (Director + IT Guy)

1x Logitech Z4 2.1 ~$70NZD (Reception)

1x ... (more in the full post)

Blackberry Browser

2008-10-09T12:01:00.001-07:00

Blackberry Browser

Court orders spammers to pay US$236M to Iowa ISP

2008-10-08T08:24:00.007-07:00

Court orders spammers to pay US$236M to Iowa ISP
Couple bombarded ISP over a four-month period, says judge

Microsoft goes further with software subscription model - Equipt

2008-10-08T08:24:00.005-07:00

From the press release from earlier this month:

"Microsoft Equipt offers consumers Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007, giving them the latest versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote for their personal and school projects; Windows Live OneCare, the all-in-one security and PC management service; Windows Live tools, such as Windows Live Mail, Windows Live Messenger and Windows Live Photo Gallery so they can connect and share with people they care about most; and Office Live Workspace, a new service from Microsoft that makes it easy to save documents to a dedicated online Workspace and share them with friends and classmates. Anytime a new version of Office or Windows Live OneCare is released, Microsoft Equipt customers will get the version upgrades as part of their subscriptions."

Cost is $US70 per year for up to 3 PCs. Pretty reasonable I think and improves the home user proposition versus Open Office and Google online services . . .

Researchers show how to crack popular smart cards

2008-10-08T08:24:00.003-07:00

Researchers show how to crack popular smart cards
Researchers publish full details on how to crack the Mifare Classic RFID card

Auckland Uni showcases innovation

2008-10-08T08:24:00.001-07:00

Robotics, wireless and power technologies to be displayed Read More

Blackberry Data Transfer Monitor

2008-10-08T08:23:00.009-07:00

Blackberry Data Transfer Monitor

Vodafone Broadband Bandwidth meter: Total crap

2008-10-08T08:23:00.007-07:00

I noticed that there was an issue currently occuring with the Bandwith meter for the 24th and the 25th:

Bandwidth issue 2008-07-25 11:32:57

Some customers may notice that their bandwidth for the 24th and 25th of July is higher than usual.

We are currently investigating this issue with our Engineers and we hope to resolve this as soon as possible

Thank you for your patience

So I went along to My Vodafone to check.

While the meter in the picture below only accounts for my PC only (out of two), I am the biggest user of this household, so you could multiply the figures in my meter report by around 1.5.

Do note that my meter report may have slightly higher usage than the actual one as some packets may not be going to the Internet.

It sometimes fluctuates below my own PC's usage... and the 24th has a sudden peak spike (but the days before it were pretty unaccounted for)

Also, the 22nd of July is missing! Where did that go?

Some dates also seem to have huge delay in processing the usage (so sometimes the usage on one day goes on the next day).

I've seen problems with ihug's/Vodafone's usage checker a few times before. I haven't seen many occurrences of other ISPs having similar problems...

This also reduces the trust laid upon Vodafone's systems. I definitely know that I'll need to use my meter to check for usage rather than My Vodafone. Could this mean that we could be paying more for our data? (as if there is substantially more data usage than the actual one, then Vodafone have actually been taking away the value of the plan)

Vodafone's engineers better rectify this problem soon!

BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 Coming to Spain this Fall

2008-10-08T08:23:00.005-07:00

BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 Coming to Spain this Fall
Telefonica is bringing the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 to Spain this fall. Pricing so far is undetermined.

BlackBerry Niagara and BlackBerry Apex — CDMA BlackBerry Update!

2008-10-08T08:23:00.003-07:00

The BlackBerry Niagara and BlackBerry Apex are going to give CDMA BlackBerry subscribers more to talk about than the BlackBerry Storm. Read More

BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 lands first on TIM

2008-10-08T08:23:00.001-07:00

TIM is the first carrier to launch the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220, for around $370 USD. Read More

iPhone grabs top smartphone spot

2008-10-07T21:34:00.019-07:00

Apple boosts its share of the US consumer smart phone market by 55% Read More

Microsoft SQL Server Data Services (SSDS) takes SQL to the web

2008-10-07T21:34:00.017-07:00

Microsoft SQL Server Data Services (SSDS) takes SQL to the web
Microsoft are progressing with their cloud based database service - SQL Server Data Services (SSDS) - designed to provide a scalable, on-demand data storage and query processing utility service. Certainly the service could be a boon for organisations... (more in the full post)

Document File Viewer

2008-10-07T21:34:00.015-07:00

U.S. mobile users unplugging landlines

2008-10-07T21:34:00.013-07:00

More than one-quarter of US mobile-phone users stopped using their fixed-line phones Read More

XBOX Live planned downtime

2008-10-07T21:34:00.011-07:00

XBOX Live planned downtime
I just got this in my Inbox, and decided it was interesting to spread:

The Xbox team is hard at work getting ready for the launch of the New Xbox Experience, coming to Xbox 360s around the world later this Spring. In order to prepare to bring you new features, games and experiences the team is going to need to take Xbox LIVE offline for a short time. On September 29 Xbox LIVE will be unavailable from 8.01 PM and will restart at 7:59 PM on September 30.

These are New Zealand times, please adjust accordingly...

Linkification v6

2008-10-07T21:34:00.009-07:00

News / Web Happenings:

Geekzone layout changes - what do you think? - I was lucky enough to be asked by Mauricio to help move the design of Geekzone forward towards a pure CSS layout. Stage one has been to replace the old menu and footer. What do you think?

Cisco to buy Jabber
Adobe Creative Suite 4 released
T-Mobile unveils the T-Mobile G1 powered by Android
Auto-trader folds as market moves online - a classic case of not moving with the times.
Hubert Chang claims he co-designed Google
Skype for Asterisk Beta announced
Myspace Music launches (yawn) - yawn is right.

General:

Windows 7 screenshots
Windows 7 Video Preview
Converting .docx to .doc

Neat stuff:

A photo a day for 17 years - Epic!
xkcd - tones

Development:

StackOverflow now in public beta - a new online community for software developers to ask and answer questions. I've been in the private beta for a while now and I'd recommend developers check it out.

FAIL of the week:

Seed FAIL

TelecomOne un-conference day 2 and wrap-up

2008-10-07T21:34:00.007-07:00

I am back home in Wellington now, after the TelecomOne un-conference. On the second day (day 0, day 1) I attended half of a session moderated by Nat Torkington about children education and technology, and then Peter Gutman's session about cybercrime - variants, free market of information, why security forces are not doing enough, etc.

About 12pm we did a wrap-up session where we all had the opportunity to review what went right, what went wrong, how it worked for everyone and what is next.

TelecomOne was an interesting un-conference. First because it was mainly an internal event, with a few "externals" being invited. This caused a bit of friction in the wiki pages where invited atendees discussed the upcoming meetup during the weeks leading up to the actual event.

Some Telecom people were worried about an open discussion about their vision, directions, services, network in the presence of "externals". We actually even had a person from the legal department on site - but I can guarantee that everyone understood very well the implications and the rules of separation. All discussions were open and clear, with a very good deal of understanding, criticism, suggestions and discovery.

Add to this the rounds of werewolf games (on Friday and Saturday evenings), plus the late night talks and it was a very enjoyable weekend - you can see my Flickr TelecomOne set here, or search for Flickr TNZ1 tag. Also available is a series of #TNZ1 Twitters. The special touch was the "Innovation Red" wine served there...

During the wrap-up we had comments from some "externals" that were a surprise. For example one of them even said something like "... amazed to find out so many bright Telecom and Gen-i people together and certainly changed my view of the company".

Also worth noting is the presence of some high up people there - if not the whole weekend, at least attending a couple of important sessions - like Alan Gourdie (Chief Executive, Telecom Retail) who attended the session about communicating to customers and public in general where we discussed public blogging, social media, regulations and other topics.

On the way back home, all out-of-town people managed to band together again at the Air New Zealand Koru Lounge and we almost had another session there, in the corner.

Also is worth noting that Telecom provided meals and a bus from Auckland CBD to Warkworth, but "externals" (such as myself) did not receive any contribution towards the expense to attend this camp. I paid my own travel, accommodation, and car to drive to Warkworth. Actually very interesting to see a group of "externals" such as the one the organisers put together coming on their own to participate on a private camp.

Also interesting is to see the Foo Camp concept can be applied really well to private organisations.

Well done the organisers and facilitators. Well done to Telecom for being brave and accepting that people from outside your organisation can help too, by providing real criticism and constructive feedback.

Special thanks to the Mahurangi College and staff, location of Foo Camps, and now TelecomOne. On to the next one.

Kiwicon Friday Drinks

2008-10-07T21:34:00.005-07:00

Kiwicon Friday Drinks
You lucky lucky people going to Kiwicon. Sold Out event - awesome

Don't be late for the Friday night drinks as there is a bunch of free Epic Pale Ale. (Thank Mike Forbes for hooking that up, but you might want to get there before Mike as he has a big thirst when it comes to Epic Pale Ale)

http://www.kiwicon.org/

http://www.epicbeer.com

Twitter @epicbeer

BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 Coming to Spain this Fall

2008-10-07T21:34:00.003-07:00

BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 Coming to Spain this Fall
Telefonica is bringing the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 to Spain this fall. Pricing so far is undetermined.

RIM developing a BlackBerry Application Center

2008-10-07T21:34:00.001-07:00

RIM developing a BlackBerry Application Center
RIM is going to announce a BlackBerry Application Center at the BlackBerry Developer Conference!

You interview the CEO: Telecom NZ Dr Paul Reynolds waiting your questions

2008-10-07T09:04:00.001-07:00

It took some time, but it happened. We now have a discussion open in our Telecom New Zealand forum, waiting for your questions to CEO Dr Paul Reynolds.

The idea is simple: people can post their questions in the thread, and after a week I will be forwarding these to get his answers. I will then post the answers on Geekzone.

We have done this before with other major telcos in New Zealand - check the answers for Orcon, TelstraClear, and WorldxChange.

Thanks to the Telecom folks who helped us get there!

Blackberry Personal Money Manager

2008-10-07T09:03:00.017-07:00

BlackBerry Storm Product Positioning Document Leaks

2008-10-07T09:03:00.015-07:00

RIM's internal planning has been leaked for the BlackBerry Storm. People in Waterloo must not be very happy right about now. Read More

BlackBerry Developer Conference Blowout! Panels, Money, Devices, BlackBerry Cool 15?

2008-10-07T09:03:00.013-07:00

BlackBerry Cool is heading to the BlackBerry Developer Conference this October. Come to the BlackBerry Cool 15! Read More

E-tales: Office culture goes really green

2008-10-07T09:03:00.011-07:00

A WEEK OF IT Read More

Microsoft fights Ballmer testimony in 'Vista Capable' suit

2008-10-07T09:03:00.009-07:00

Microsoft fights Ballmer testimony in 'Vista Capable' suit
Ballmer should not have to testify in deception lawsuit, company says

U.S. mobile users unplugging landlines

2008-10-07T09:03:00.007-07:00

More than one-quarter of US mobile-phone users stopped using their fixed-line phones Read More

Whrrl adds BlackBerry Bold support (BlackBerry Bytes)

2008-10-07T09:03:00.005-07:00

Whrrl adds BlackBerry Bold support (BlackBerry Bytes)
Whrrl for BlackBerry now has BlackBerry Bold support! Too bad it doesn't work in Canada.

Geekzone Jobs: search and forums

2008-10-07T09:03:00.003-07:00

A few months ago I created a Jobs forum on Geekzone to allow for some of our readers to exchange job information, post requests for specific skills, etc.

Of course it's no competition for the big job sites around, but it seems to be working ok for our community. We do have some of the job agencies posting some ads there - and why wouldn't they, it's free!

Anyway, after talking to the guys at JobX, New Zealand's newest site for job search, we decided to add a Job Search to Geekzone.

One of the first joint initiatives was their sponsorship at the Geekzone Pizza evening in Christchurch - by chance we selected a pizza place just next to their offices, so that helped too.

The Jobs forum is still active and I expect it to get busier every day, but I think the Job Search will bring an even bigger selection for you.

Good luck!

Checking your mobile data usage online is not easy: a Telecom New Zealand tale

2008-10-07T09:03:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I posted about Telecom New Zealand's lack of a "meter" for their mobile data. Here is something that I thought would illustrate the issue well...

Let's say you rent a car on a monthly basis, for work. You agree to pay $49.95 a month if you drive up to 1,000 km per billing cycle, and $1 per km after this.

You decided on 1,000 km because you thought this could cover your average daily usage multiplied by the number of days in the month.

You get the car and notice there is no meter in it, but the rental agency tells you it's ok, they are monitoring it within their system, remotely.

You drive away. During 30 days you have no exact idea of how many kms you've done. You have to keep calling the company to find out how many kms you have driven so far, and calculate to see if you are still within the expected average.

Then you receive the monthly bill. You look through five pages for something that says "kms driven this month", but instead you find "times you started the car this month". And a charge for the rental.

Does it make sense?

No. Neither does Telecom New Zealand's "data sessions" line in the bill. They don't tell us how many megabytes or gigabytes we used during the month, only how many times we used it during the period.

Telecom, are you going to fix your systems?

Cloud computing: End of the corporate WAN?

2008-10-06T04:56:00.017-07:00

Cloud computing: End of the corporate WAN?
There are issues with the move to the cloud, says Frank Dzubeck

Blackberry Personal Money Manager

2008-10-06T04:56:00.015-07:00

What does the financial meltdown mean for security?

2008-10-06T04:56:00.013-07:00

What does the financial meltdown mean for security?
Bill Brenner sifts through vendor hype

Rogers BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 to come in pink before Christmas?

2008-10-06T04:56:00.011-07:00

Rogers BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 to come in pink before Christmas?
Will Rogers release a pink BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 for $50 just before Christmas?

16GB MicroSD cards now available. Which BlackBerrys support them? (BlackBerry Bytes)

2008-10-06T04:56:00.009-07:00

Can your BlackBerry support the new 16GB MicroSDHC standard? Read this chart to find out! Read More

A Baby boomer's perspective on Generation Y

2008-10-06T04:56:00.007-07:00

A Baby boomer's perspective on Generation Y
Managing newcomers is nothing new, says Frank Hayes

Microsoft gives OEMs XP downgrade disks for 6 more months

2008-10-06T04:56:00.005-07:00

Microsoft extends time-frame for Vista downgrades Read More

Blackberry SpreadSheet Freeware

2008-10-06T04:56:00.003-07:00

Blackberry SpreadSheet Freeware

Washington state pursues 'scareware' distributors

2008-10-06T04:56:00.001-07:00

Washington state pursues 'scareware' distributors
Restitution to victims ordered

Telecom 'has the right plan'

2008-10-04T13:29:00.017-07:00

Telecom 'has the right plan'
Telecom fights US hedge fund board challenge

Student benifits!

2008-10-04T13:29:00.015-07:00

Student benifits!
I'm currently doing a Bachelor of Communications and Information Technology at UCOL, Palmerston North.

A few days ago I received an email stating I am registered with the MSDN Academic Alliance: Online Software System. I visited the link included in the email and was very pleased to find out I have access to free downloads which include; Windows Vista Business, Windows 2008 Server, Visual Studio 2008 and many more! This is great, I can download hundreds of dollars worth of software for free.

I think I'll be reaching my monthly download quota very early this month!

http://www.e-academy.com/

The Truth in Advertising

2008-10-04T13:29:00.013-07:00

Some bits sound like meetings I attended... Other bits sound like exactly what I expect "Big Telco" would be talking when creating a campaign for their new JesusPhone offering...

Warning: some heavy NSFW language. But worth watching the whole thing.

Red BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 at Best Buy October 26th

2008-10-04T13:29:00.011-07:00

Red BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 at Best Buy October 26th
A red BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 will be joining the BlackBerry Bold at Best Buy on October 26th.

Verizon BlackBerry Storm gets firm release date: Noveber 4th?

2008-10-04T13:29:00.009-07:00

Verizon BlackBerry Storm gets firm release date: Noveber 4th?
Rumor has it the Verizon BlackBerry Storm will officially arrive Nov. 4th. Oh lord do we want one!

Micro Blogging Client for the Blackberry

2008-10-04T13:29:00.007-07:00

Micro Blogging Client for the Blackberry

Mac OS X market share cracks 8%

2008-10-04T13:29:00.005-07:00

Biggest one-month gain since May Read More

Seeking Alpha torn over RIM

2008-10-04T13:29:00.003-07:00

Seeking Alpha torn over RIM
Seeking Alpha can't make up its mind about the future of RIM's stock. Can you?

Whrrl adds BlackBerry Bold support (BlackBerry Bytes)

2008-10-04T13:29:00.001-07:00

Whrrl for BlackBerry now has BlackBerry Bold support! Too bad it doesn't work in Canada. Read More

SmartPay restructures, sheds 25% of staff

2008-10-04T13:28:00.001-07:00

Restructuring focuses company on key markets, says MD Read More

Forefront Threat Management Gateway (TMG) 2008 RTMs in initial form

2008-10-03T20:28:00.019-07:00

Forefront Threat Management Gateway (TMG) 2008 RTMs in initial form
Microsoft have finished of the first version of the new Forefront Threat Management Gateway (TMG) which replaces the current ISA Server 2006 product.

This initial version is titled 'Forefront Threat Management Gateway Small Business Edition'... (more in the full post)

TheStreet.com launches BlackBerry application!

2008-10-03T20:28:00.017-07:00

TheStreet.com launches BlackBerry application!
Need up to date financial information on how well your stocks are doing? Get TheStreet.com BlackBerry application for free!

tmobile blackberry

19 full applications for broadband fund received

What to Call this Post...

Thanks Duncan from Orcon

BlackBerry Storm specs and features

Huge News! VMware ESX 3i is free from 28 July!

Verizon showing BlackBerry Storm commercials

Vodafone CMO promotes the BlackBerry Storm (updated with pricing)

Blackberry Media Player

Oracle to buy project portfolio management player

Safe Mode exists for the BlackBerry Bold

BlackBerry Javelin appears on T-Mobile Germany site as BlackBerry Curve 8900

Blackberry Backlight Utility

Microsoft enhances .Net, Windows Server

Microsoft goes further with software subscription model - Equipt

Are Microsoft's open-source actions enough?

Apple releases another mega-patch for Mac OS X

Mono 2.0 lets .Net apps run on Linux

Microsoft wants to fire your receptionist, are you and I next?

Blackberry File Manager

Windows Server 2008 is my Desktop Workstation

Student benifits!

NZ to see touch-screen Blackberry Storm

What to Call this Post...

Blackberry TV and Movie Schedule

NZ banks tackle phishing with boosted security

Auckland Uni showcases innovation

Firefox extension blocks dangerous web attack

Optus introduces unlimited calling plans in Australia

Blackberry GPS Maps

Auckland Uni showcases innovation

Bell BlackBerry Storm page now live!

Oracle and SAP fail to settle TomorrowNow lawsuit

Auckland Uni showcases innovation

The BlackBerry Cool 15 at the BlackBerry Developer Conference!!

Oracle and SAP fail to settle TomorrowNow lawsuit

So what is this MythTV anyway?

BlackBerry Storm specs and features

Gizmodo BlackBerry Storm hands on

Engadget BlackBerry Storm hands on

HP invites to Software Business Technology Optmisation Tour in Wellington

BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 Coming to Spain this Fall

What to Call this Post...

Attending the IBM Forum 2008 in Wellington

Blackberry Personal Money Manager

I love my new iPhone 3G, but will it blend?

O.J. Simpson guilty verdict could lead to malicious spam

Court orders spammers to pay US$236M to Iowa ISP

Bell BlackBerry Storm confirmed, site up later today

Squeezecenter and Softsqueeze - how to make a great centralised music server for the office

Blackberry Browser

Court orders spammers to pay US$236M to Iowa ISP

Microsoft goes further with software subscription model - Equipt

Researchers show how to crack popular smart cards

Auckland Uni showcases innovation

Blackberry Data Transfer Monitor

Vodafone Broadband Bandwidth meter: Total crap

Bandwidth issue 2008-07-25 11:32:57

BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 Coming to Spain this Fall

BlackBerry Niagara and BlackBerry Apex — CDMA BlackBerry Update!

BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 lands first on TIM

iPhone grabs top smartphone spot

Microsoft SQL Server Data Services (SSDS) takes SQL to the web

Document File Viewer

U.S. mobile users unplugging landlines

XBOX Live planned downtime

Linkification v6

TelecomOne un-conference day 2 and wrap-up

Kiwicon Friday Drinks

BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 Coming to Spain this Fall

RIM developing a BlackBerry Application Center

You interview the CEO: Telecom NZ Dr Paul Reynolds waiting your questions

Blackberry Personal Money Manager

BlackBerry Storm Product Positioning Document Leaks

BlackBerry Developer Conference Blowout! Panels, Money, Devices, BlackBerry Cool 15?

E-tales: Office culture goes really green

Microsoft fights Ballmer testimony in 'Vista Capable' suit

U.S. mobile users unplugging landlines

Whrrl adds BlackBerry Bold support (BlackBerry Bytes)

Geekzone Jobs: search and forums