Clik here to view.
New phone: Google Nexus 5, first impressions
Over the years I’ve tried to avoid being sucked into buying the latest and greatest technology just for the sake of it. But I must admit being keen to check out the new Android 4.4 (Kit Kat) and Google...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Some phones can read #Myki cards. Could you one day check your expiry/balance...
For anybody with an NFC (Near Field Contact)-compatible phone (such as my new Google Nexus 5), you can use the this little app — Tag Info Lite to read Myki cards. Not that it’ll tell you very much —...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A case to keep my shiny new phone safe
My new Google Nexus 5 phone is going very nicely, thanks very much. But I was pondering getting a case for it. The last thing I’d want is for it to be dropped and damaged. Fortuitously, the good people...
View ArticleWrestling with a new blog template
I’m wrestling with a new blog template at the moment. It’s kind of mostly working…ish, but there are still a few little issues, such as the main content doesn’t line up with the page header quite...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Daniel vs the ATM
My recollection is that Automatic Teller Machines used to be much simpler devices, and much faster. I’m sure back in the day I timed myself getting cash using the basic buttons and 1-2 line dot-matrix...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Automatic for the people
Those of you who read the blog regularly might know that it started in my university days in 1990, with a twice-weekly email called the “Toxic Custard Workshop Files“. You can still subscribe to it,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Thinking again about hi-fi
One of my long-term objectives is to update my sound system. My current system is a mix of devices collected over many years. The horrible old brown Sanyo speakers I’ve had since I was a teenager,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The new toy
In Parks and Recreation they celebrate an annual Treat Yo’self day. Mine was last week. I took my birthday and the next day off work. After much pondering, I bought a new home theatre setup. I’d spent...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Hi fi part 2: the kitchen radio
After buying the new livingroom hi-fi, my thinking was I want a device for the kitchen that does DAB+ for digital radio (eg music such as Double-J without relying on the vagaries of the internet...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Google Streetview car up close
Last night this Google Streetview car was cruising along William Street outside Flagstaff station. The driver waved back as I took the photo. It’ll be interesting to see how long the photos it was...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How many WiFi devices are in your home?
I’ve had a few issues with the iiNet Bob2 modem/router in the past week or two, and rang up support on Sunday to get it sorted out. At one stage the nice chap asked how many devices are using the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Crowdfunded documentaries
I’m aware that my blog has evolved… these days most of the posts are about transport, reflecting my current interests. I wonder if this is a bit dull for those who have been on the old Toxic Custard...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Ten years ago: Arise Lord Vader
Here’s another in my series of ten year old photos. Arise Lord Vader — episode 3 got a lot of promotion. Or, as I joked at the time: Connex was aligned with the Dark Side. The Dungeon: platform 13 at...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Online services: they know all about you
I love using Google’s services, but I think everybody knows they (and Facebook and Twitter and many other big internet companies) make most of their money via advertising, and that’s based on what they...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Oz Comic-Con 2015 – and marriage equality
Science fiction and fantasy conventions used to be a homespun affair, run by the local clubs, featuring broadcasts of rare episodes and out-takes (before it all got released on DVD) and fan films. If...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Y2K was not a hoax. It was real, but it was (mostly) averted.
Bernard Salt writing in The Australian today implies that Y2K was a hoax: Do you remember the Y2K bug, the computer programming flaw that threatened to reset the digital world to the year zero at the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
New blog template
I quite liked the old blog template, but I know there were a few issues with it on mobile devices, and I didn’t have the time/energy to fix it. So as part of trying out new web hosting, and making sure...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Short Sydney trip day 3: Geeks galore
Posted 27/11/2015. Back-dated. The third and final day of my obsessively-blogged short trip to Sydney, and it was destined to be pretty geeky. After breakfast and checking out, we caught a train to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Scammers try to connect me to the “Rescue Machine of Telstra”
It is a common scam for people to ring you up claiming to be from Microsoft or Telstra (or another major corporation that sounds plausible). They tell you your computer and/or internet connection has a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The need for speed part 1: Internet uploads
Not to pre-empt anything, but this year I expect to have two film and television students in the house. For this, I’m considering upgrading my Internet. We’re currently on iiNet Naked ADSL2+ costing...
View Article