Reports that the EU are to cap roaming charges prove the EU is still on the side of big business.
The internet is a global place. It doesn’t cost any more for me to download my email from Google when I’m in France, or Germany, or for that matter Mongolia or Argentina. And the calls costing more is an outdated concept as well.
I expect my free minutes and free data to be valid wherever I am in the world. It might take a while, but it will have to happen eventually.
Some people get upset when royalty die. Some people get upset when soap stars die. But when I think it’s sad when someone I’ve never met dies, it’s often someone who has changed the world in ways most people don’t notice.
And the latest person in that category is Charles Spencer (“Spen”) King.
Who? I hear you ask.
Spen King lead the design teams for the Rover 2000 and SD1, Triumph Stag, TR6 and TR7, and most notably the original Range Rover. Arguably the TD7 wasn’t his best work, but it’s still an fantastic CV.
The world has lost one of the finest car designers ever. The man who arguably created an entire new segment of the car market – the luxury SUV – is no longer with us.
That’s worth raising a glass in his memory.
I commented on Friday that the iPad would either become used almost as much as my laptop, or become a very expensive photo frame except when I’m travelling. After the first 48 hours I think it’s going to be closer to the former.
For casual web surfing it’s a definite win, and when discussing something I wanted for my birthday it was nice to just put it on the table and look at together – it seems somehow less intrusive than sharing a PC screen. Without a Bluetooth keyboard it’s a consumption device – it’s a TV not a Camcorder. I wanted to send an email with three sentences in it, and I put the iPad down, when into the next room to get my laptop, and booted Windows to send them email because typing on screen is so painfully slow. I find the same with my phone – if you get an email reply from me from the phone it means there isn’t a real keyboard in reach. And it’ll be terse.
I’ve got my entire music collection – 16 gigs – plus a handful of movies converted for playing on there, and I’ll convert some more as time goes on to get a reasonable collection before the next long trip. Using CloneDVDMobile creates excellent results but does take time to do all the transcoding – about 2x the time needed to watch the video.
Installed Free Apps so far:
Any other recommendations?
Paid Apps
I’ll probably – possibly – add the Pages, Numbers and Keynote apps – Word, Excel and Powerpoint equivalents – once I have a BT keyboard which I have hinted will make a nice birthday present (and will be buying myself the day after if I don’t get it!)
On eBooks
I’ve got a whole bunch of reference PDFs downloaded, as well as the beginnings of a collection of Free eBooks. These all open fine in the built in iBook application. But since Amazon are promising a Kindle App for Android, and their whispersync technology means I can go to a book I started reading on the ipad, and carry on on the PC or the phone, that sounded a better deal. Oh, and their eBooks are cheaper too.
Reading in the sun
Probably my biggest unknown was how well it would work in bright sunlight. I intend to have it with me on vacation later in the year as my primary source of “entertainment”, and want to be able to watch videos and read books in the sun. Watching video’s isn’t so good, but the “mostly white” screen of the book reader does an excellent job of hiding reflections off the screen, and after a while you start to focus on the screen, not the reflections, so it’s prefectly usable. If money really were no object, I’d probably get an eBook reader as well – which would also eliminate my minor concern about this being something of a single point of failure in amusing myself when travelling.
Essential Accessories I’d have bought at the time
Well, if I didn’t have a birthday in a few weeks and hence the opportunity to drop hints about presents.
1) Spare USB charger. Nominally so I can leave one in my “travel” bag and one at home, but I’ll probably take both when travelling since I can (with the right leads) charge my phone and MiFi router off the USB port as well.
2) Case. And the only reason I didn’t order this at the time was the quoted 3-4 week delivery.
3) Camera interface so I can download photos taken during the day to the iPad. I really like the idea of being able to sit in the bar and look over the day’s photos.
One of the purchasing decisions for the iPad was whether to go with the built-in 3G connectivity or stick with the WiFi option.
Since I already have two laptops (work and home) which benefit from being able to access the Internet from anywhere, it seemed like a 3G/WiFi router was a better option than the built in 3G. I don’t want to pay for separate contracts for the lapdog, iPad, and SWMBO’s lapdog. So the fact they can all share one SIM is good.
The downside is that if it’s being used to partner the iPad it’s another device that needs to be charged up.
Time to get that Gel Cell powered USB port working!!
My intention in purchasing the iPad was largely as a media consumption device. Something to use to surf teh Interwebs while at home, watch videos on a plane, read books on a beach, and then come home and stuff full again for the next trip.
The true test will be in a month’s time. Am I carrying it everywhere, or has it become an expensive Photo frame I take on international trips?
Time will tell.
I’ve given in.
After my first iPod was replaced under warranty 4 times in 2 years, and died again just out of warranty, I went on a bit of an anti-apple phase. Which was exacerbated when I realised I couldn’t play any of the music I’d bought for the iPod on any other player. Since then I have an iPod nano for portable music, which I’ve been rather more impressed with.
I deliberately didn’t get an iPhone – at the time I was happy with my WM6 phone. Then corporate policies forced me down the Blackberry route, and while it’s an excellent tool it’s not a fun personal gadget so I got my own phone, and after looking seriously at the iPhone ended up with a HTC Desire.
But after looking at several eBook readers I came to the conclusion that it was going to be another device – and battery charger – to add to the netbook, media player, and mobile phone that I take on any kind of trip. Then I figured the iPad would do all of these things, so I’ve ordered one. I’ll be selling the Netbook and Creative media player once it arrives – sometime the week after next as it seems Apple deem fir to take my order three days ago and ship it in 10 days time.
Not the best first impression in this day of instant gratification. I expect same day ship from Internet companies these days.
Edit: they’ve improved the delivery date and allegedly it’s on a UPS truck somewhere near here. I shall resist the temptation to keep refreshing the tracking page every 30 seconds. Not so shabby after all.
Western companies would do well to follow the example of RedBus, an Indian startup company selling bus tickets.
As reported by TechCrunch they invested “in seven different call centers throughout India, not one central call center. Says Sama, if you don’t localize a call center to local slang, languages, and customs the customer service won’t work.
Seriously? An Indian in Bangalore arguing a centralized, remote call center can’t give good customer service? That has about as much globalization-irony as China’s BYD refusing to outsource any of its manufacturing.”
Underbody protection. In the end I went for the Qt guards front and rear. The others just seemed too wimpy.
Steering Guard. Southdown Steering Guard fitted. Still working on best recovery options.
Tank Guard and rear recovery point is proving to be a real problem. Still.
Snorkel. Safari. Easy decision. And looking good.
Winch is looking good in the Bearmach discrete mount kit. I still need a good strong recovery point, and I’m thinking of drilling the steering guard to add a couple of swivels.
I also added some privacy screens to the windows, a roof rack and some bridging ladders. Given the lack of lift and agressive tyres right now, these seemed worthwhile.
So what next?
Tyres: will be upgraded to ATs in axle pairs as the existing ones wear or otherwise need replacing. And the chrome side steps, which look nice, will get replaced with tree sliders if and when they get damaged.
What a great day to be outside!
The Clarendon Way walk raises money for Naomi House Hospice. It’s a fun event to help organise and RAYNET provides the safety comms every year.
I was searching around the Internet and stumbled over this video. ”Duw, it’s hard” is a song about the demise of the Welsh mining history and the mixed effect on the community. For those who don’t know “duw” is the Welsh word for “god.”
This video sets the music to photos of the area where I grew up in South Wales, and it brings home both the economic demise of the area, and how much easier my working life is than that of the Welsh miners.