I retired from personal blogging in July 2008 but you can find me over at blog.xero.com
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The cost to roam data in Australia is $30 per MB over GPRS. Data on CafeNet is $0.22 per MB.
When will carriers get it?
Saw this on the Microsoft New Zealand Site. Worth a download.
ArtRage is a painting package designed to provide a realistic and fun simulation of using paint on a canvas, along with pens, pencils, crayons, and other tools. You can run ArtRage on a normal Windows machine with a mouse, but it works particularly well if you have a graphics tablet. Even better, running ArtRage on a TabletPC takes advantage of the unique interaction of pen and screen to produce a realistic painting feel.
I used the new Tablet 2004 in SP2 today on the plane. The new Tablet Input functionality is simply outstanding.
The recognition is excellent and the floating TIP just simply works.
Great job Microsoft. This is awesome software.
I forgot to Read The Manual when installing XPSP2RC1.
I forgot to uninstall the Lonestar (alpha) first so my expected 20 minute upgrde turned into 4 hours I’ll never get back.
- Install XPSP2RC1. Tablet Input Panel (TIP) Not working (30 mins)
- Reboot (4 mins)
- Run Updates (5 mins)
- Reboot (5 mins)
- Reinstall XPSP2RC1 (Just in case). (30 mins)
- Reboot (5 mins)
- Hit newsgroups (15 mins)
- Realize error (Doh!) (10 seconds)
- Work out how to view updates in Add Remove Programs (so I can uninstall XPSP2RC1) (5 mins)
- Uninstall XPSP2RC1 (25 mins)
- Reboot (5 mins)
- No Lonestar uninstall visible so reinstall Lonestar (10 mins)
- Uninstall Lonestar (15 mins)
- Reboot (4 mins)
- Reinstall XPSP2RC1 (30 mins)
- Reboot (4 mins)
- Run Updates (5 mins)
- Reboot (4 mins)
Done it. Works. Lesson learnt. New tablet stuff is much better.
Why does software still take 30 minutes to install? Since pre IBMXT’s it always takes at least 30 minutes. By 2004 why doesn’t it take 3 seconds. Install (1…2…3) Done.
Courtesy of MS bloggers the development of Longhorn will be transparent and interesting to watch. The visibility of development is unprecedented.
The size of the releases mean that the development cycle is so much longer than what we are used to. It will be at least 2 years from until Longhorn is ready. We already know that enterprises lag significantly between the latest releases. We are working with lots of Exchange 5.5 and NT4 customers.
Longhorn is such a huge release and with massive hardware requirements and fundamentally different core technologies (like new Graphics and File subsystems), enterprises are going to be dragging the chain.
The question is worse that ‘when will enterprises move?’. Its ‘will enterprises move?’. Many enterprises have said I don’t need any more features. If they could stick with Word 95 they would. It’s a good enough Word processor. So the question becomes will the ROI on a the new Hardware, OS and Office system stack up?
This is the big issue Microsoft has. What new productivity scenarios will get to the required ROI. A translucent Word processor would look cool, but does it improve productivity $2000 per user?
With the entirely new graphics subsystem in Longhorn then Office must have to be rewritten. Probably the first real rewrite (yay!). And to pull through Longhorn sales it’s logical for MS to build a Longhorn only version of Office.
How will MS ‘Cross the Chasm’? The Office team as developers will be dying to use the new features of Longhorn, but those with financial responsibility will want to keep Office targeting the widest platform (XP, Windows 2000, 2003).
With MS core investment in Office now needing to be rewritten, the opportunity for other developers to start with no baggage, exploiting the great Longhorn environment and .Net tools, has never been greater.
MS’s monopoly was probably inevitable, but maybe the incumbent’s need to keep moving forward eventually creates a natural advantage for unencumbered players.
When a member of parliament asks to see your documentation …
Rt Hon Winston Peters: Is the Minister concerned that the indecision and costs around the upgrading of the ministry’s benefit computer system have all the hallmarks of another computer system in the recent political past known as INCIS*, in that the SWIFTT system has not been, and is not, documented, hence no one person can claim to know exactly what it does, including the Minister himself; if not, will he make the documentation available to the House and prove that my questions is otherwise from what I say?
Click more for the related parliamentary questions.
Found it! Lidsville.
Here are some of the Sounds. Too funny. http://krofft.dementedstuff.com/lids.htm.
Full series 1-17 available on a 4 video boxed set. No DVD yet.
HR Puff ‘N Stuff is now available on DVD so I ordered that and started looking for other kids shows that I can remember.
It took a while to find a reference to the Magic Ball…
Childhood memories are often the strongest. One of mine is the opening of this TV show. I recall a quaintly drawn seaside town, and then the interior a shop. It’s full of all manner of things. Each week Sam would look at an object in his Aunty Mill’s shop. His imagination would be stirred and the majic ball that he always carried with him would whisk him off on an adventure.
The animation was basic but very effective. I was always amused by the way the baddies would get angrey and jump up and down waving their arms…..
…Well, it was funny at the time.
I haven’t found any video of the Magic Ball yet so my hunt begins.
In another kids show I can remember all the characters were hats. The show started with a kid falling into a giant magicians hat, and then waking up in hattie town or something. I remember there was a ‘hot line’ that everyone kept burning their hands on. No idea what the show was called so that’s another one I want to track down.
Aww crap. Its official.
Yukon, Whidbey Releases Slip Yet Again
InfoWorld have just released their Report Card on well MS is doing with .Net.
Full Report is at …
http://www.infoworld.com/pdf/special_report/2004/09SRpulse.pdf
Certainly a pretty report but doesn’t say much. The timeline was is useful to put things into perspective and see some of the false starts. E.g. My Services.
First developer previews were November 2000.
Sam at TradeMe (NZ largest Auction Site) is looking for DBA tech. This would have to one of the most exciting DBA opportunities around as TradeMe is in HyperGrowth mode. …
This is your opportunity to play a key role in one of New Zealand’s fastest growing and most exciting companies. We’re looking to expand our technology capabilities with a database guru who has a few other skills thrown in. Ideally, you will possess:
- Exceptional database skills
- Extensive hands-on experience with Microsoft SQL Server in a high-volume implementation
- A thorough understanding of what is required to make an OLTP DB tick
- A background that spans both operational and development environments
- Some development or scripting skills
- Experience in a web environment, Internet company or ISP
- Good OS and networking skills, and ideally some experience with IIS v5+, ADO, SQL
- Some exposure to ADO/MDX
You also need to be very adaptable and have a strong propensity to learn. Trade Me is a fast paced environment with energetic people who like being busy, and you must be comfortable with change and be flexible in your approach to problem solving. You will need to be good at managing your own time and priorities, and you should have a strong sense of initiative.
Trade Me is New Zealand’s busiest website, and in 2003 was rated the 2nd fastest growing company in NZ’s Deloitte/Unlimited Fast 50, and 13th in the Deloitte Fast 500 Asia Pacific.
We’ll pay well for the right person, and have a positive and relaxed working environment. If this sounds like you then please send your CV to jobs@trademe.co.nz.
Lookout indexes and provides a google like search experience over Outlook.
This analysis is so useful I’ll link as well ….
http://billburnham.blogs.com/burnhamsbeat/2004/03/social_networki.html
From Hamish at Edwards Accounting.
Self-employed people who pay provisional tax in their first year of business will soon be eligible for a 6.7% discount on that tax, Associate Revenue Minister David Cunliffe announced today. This is part of a raft of measures being introduced over the coming year to simplify tax for small businesses.
“The small business sector is a key driver of growth in our economy but many struggle to make it past the first couple of years. We want to give a hand up based on clear need.†Mr Cunliffe said.
“Businesses do not have to pay tax on income earned during their first year until the second year, but both year’s payments can be due about the same time – which can be a real financial knock-back for some small businesses.
“We are offering an incentive to first-year self-employed people, and individuals who receive income from partnerships, to make voluntary tax payments during their first year of business. This helps avoid the later strain of paying two lots of income tax very close together. If they take up the offer, they will receive a 6.7% discount for each dollar of tax paid during the first year, to be calculated when their end-of-year tax bill is prepared.
“This is one of several ideas proposed by the government late last year in the discussion document ‘Making tax easier for small businesses’, and the first to make it into a taxation bill. The bill is expected to be introduced within the next few weeks.
“Other government proposals under active consideration include aligning provisional tax and GST payments, allowing small businesses to base provisional tax payments on GST turnover, and helping small businesses with PAYE.
“Each of the proposals has been the result of extensive consultation with small businesses about ways to make tax easier for them and to reduce the associated compliance costs,†Mr Cunliffe said. “The first-year discount proposal, in particular, has received strong support from the businesses we consulted.â€
Further announcements on the balance of the small business tax simplification proposals can be expected later this year.
Here is the presentation put together by ITANZ, Synergy and NZTE.
After winning 11 Oscars last night, there is no doubt we have profile.
I was excited to get invited to my second Porsche World Roadshow which was held today up at Manfield. Porsche ships almost their entire range around the world and hosts a full day of action around a race track. You get to HAMMER the cars!
First up was the Moose test, in a Carrera C2. From 75 mph you have to abrutly swerve past a ‘moose’ and then regain control. With stability management on and off. Great fun!
Next up was the Slalom where we got to throw a Boxster S around a slalom course. I’ve done it a few times before but this track was a big bigger so we were really flying and the car was tearing up tyres.
Next up was a road trip in the Cayenne Turbo. 450hp gets the truck going. I’m not a fan of the styling but it was quite phenomenal. After that I piloted a Carrera C2 Convertible (fun!)and rode shotgun back in a Boxster S.
The highlight was the next session where we go tot put it together on the track. Our instructor gave us a demo lap in a C4S Manual, then we did 2 more. Lots to think about. Then it was 3 laps in a manual Turbo Cab (that hasn’t even come out here yet). That was a blast!
The day finished with hot lap in a GT3 (wow!), 4 up in a Cayenne (going sideways) and Boxster S.
Fantastic day. Thanks EMD and Team European. Photo’s here.
Quoted in Computerworld today
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/NL/9AD1C865A9DCF9E0CC256E46006934B9
As I’ve said before. Outsourcing is good in that it grows the market and creates new relationships and experience but its products that scale. Therefore packaging IP should be the end goal, not just doing services.
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