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Today being July 1 Telstra have taken the wraps of the  QRious website… which was wait for it… for QR Codes.  BIG F**KING DEAL.

but here is just some of the hype…

“Telstra cracks the code to mobile revolution in world first”

“Telstra Group Managing Director for Consumer and Channels, Mr David Moffatt, said more than half a million Australians would begin receiving the free mobile code readers from July 1, with more to follow.”

and from the website  http://www.qrious.com.au

“What is the difference between a QR Code® and a Telstra Mobile Code?
There is no physical difference, however Telstra is introducing the codes to Australia and codes generated by Telstra will be known as Telstra Mobile Codes and much of the content that the codes lead to will be free  and/or exclusive to Telstra Next G™ and 3G mobile customers with compatible mobiles.”

Ok Telstra marketing SCUM BUCKETS… time for some facts.

Firstly you are NOT introducing them… because if you are I and a lot of other people will be able to sue you for prior art as we were using them in Australia before you!

Secondly they have been around for a long time (Internet years that is) with the codes being invented in 1994, and ISO certified in June 2000 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QR_codes)

Wikipedia says:

“QR Codes are common in Japan where they are currently the most popular type of two dimensional code.”

People even put them on their gravestones in Japan

So what is the story here NOTHING, Telstra a spinning a load of crock.  My Nokia N95 has out of the box QR reading and that was purchased in Feb, so all the bullshit about QR Readers only being available on 3 phone models is also crap.  It has been around for years and has been in Australia for just as long.

So as standard with Telstra wipe away the bullshit and all you are left with is a handle of crappy paper nothing more.

Tags: Annoyances, Mobile // 1 Comment »

Came across an App and the database for getting Speed Camera warnings on your mobile phone.  This is a great idea as I use the GPS on my phone as the my main GPS (yes I am that sad I have more than 1, The Asus R2H has OziExplorer and topo maps for going off road and is not always in the car!, the phone is!)

“This application provides a speed camera warning system for suitable Series 60 3ed phones. It is designed to operate either in conjunction with Nokia Maps, or in the background (e.g. whilst using another application or in standby) and popup to the foreground with an audio visual alert, then return to the background”

http://mcbiskits1.googlepages.com/

(Note it is not currently a Signed app, so that may put some users off)

and the database (covering most of the world inc Australia is here)

http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/modules.php?name=Cameras

I will try and install it on the weekend and give you a working report.

Tags: gps, nokia // Add Comment »

So yesterday one of the worst kept secrets in the world finally came out and Telstra announced they are going to carry the Iphone.  Big deal…

Anyway they also announced pricing… (according to news.com.au)

you are looking at anywhere from $999 to $2400 depending on phone and data plan. One sting has to be that on the $30p/m plan the initial cost is $279 not $210 which is should be given the dollar.  But if Telstra want to make a few more bucks cause people are going to buy this phone in the bucket load so be it.  Oh yeah and when Apple release another Iphone in 12 months time you are screwed… why because it is a 24 Month contract.

Telstra do have a MAJOR marketing edge over all the other carriers in Australia.  The Iphone works on the 850Mhz band and so does NextG.  Still there is no talk of just how much data you are going to get on your $30p/m plan but at a guess I am going to say not much!

There is also a lot of discussion floating around about how Telstra will pitch “Big Pond Movies/Music” when the Iphone is going to point people to Itunes.  That is going to be an interesting space to watch.

So now people can compare the Iphone as a $1000 phone to all other $1000 phones out in the market.  That is things like the n95-8gb, the HTC Diamond e.t.c.  Which of course will start to show the phone in a very different light.  The 2mg camera starts to look a bit crap when you are paying $1000 for the phone for example.

A good kicker also for Telstra is opening up the telstra wi-fi hot spots to Iphone users.  Think McDonald’s, Starbucks, most capital cities cbd’s e.t.c  That is an impressive amount of free data that you will be able to access at a lot of very convient locations.  I think that the creation of these “free” hot spots will help to start a cascade of free wifi hotspots, which will not be device specific.

This is not limited of course to the Iphone.  I for one am looking forward to the fudges that will come out so I can spoof the wi-fi to say that my Nokia is an Iphone, my R2H is an Iphone and any other device I want is an Iphone just to get free wifi.

So instead of paying 20cents per minute to access Telstra wi-fi hotspots in the future I will be on an Iphone.

Tags: apple // Add Comment »

Time for an annoyance. We went to the movies tonight. (Don’t ask… fine it was Sex and The City, revenge for seeing Die Hard 4.0 (on MY birthday I presume))

Managed to take a nice photo (insert here) and had one hour to kill before the flick.  So first things first. A quick look around to see if I can have a play with an n78 the next purchase phone for my lovely wife.  Asked at one shop (Crazy Johns for those that are interested) only to be told… at least 2 months away.  Pity I can buy it from retailers in town.  So big fat FAIL for staff training at this chain. But in typical Wolfy fashion I digress from the title of the blog post.

Movie Ticket Prices are a big load of steaming hot smelly turds.

Ok… cost of seeing Sex and the City for 2 people was $31.00Aud (plus additional cost of pop corn and coke $14).  Now here is another way of looking at it.  Cost of buying DVD on day of release (28.99 or there abouts, cost of a decent Sav Blanc from the Yarra $15) So if I buy the DVD which one then owns and can pause when ever I like and a nice bottle of wine is still less than the cost of going to see it at the cinema.  Oh yes and I have a popcorn machine so for about 50c I can make a shit load of popcorn as well.  Now my screen at home ain’t as big.  The sound system is a lot more focused and just as loud and of course there is the all mighty pause button.

But wait I still haven’t got to the main thing that pissed me off.  Standing there buying tickets I noticed that if you see a movie on a Friday night or a Saturday night they will charge you and extra 50c per ticket.  THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE TO THEIR RUNNING COSTS AT FUCKING ALL.  Who are they kidding with that.  Oh lets fuck people over some more cause it is a busy night.  Fine I get the No free ticket thing, sure you can have that.  But why charge more and then bitch and complain that people are pirating DVD’s and stealing torrents.

Wake up and smell the CAT FOOD PEOPLE!.  Vote with your feet.  Head to JBHIFI or what ever retailer you prefer and buy the movie you want to see.  Then get all your friends over tell them to bring a bottle of wine/soft drink and that you will spring for the popcorn and in the process save your self a shit load of money. And only ever go to the cinema on a Tuesday night.  That way they might get the hint that people want to see movie’s; they just don’t want to be shafted for it.

Tags: Annoyances, Photos // 1 Comment »

I know I have seen this kind of list some where else but there is my version of it.

This is the I have a smart phone and I am bored list some times (Also know as the why does my wife get bored with tech so quickly but can shop for hours not noticing the vague look on my face)

So here is my list

1. Write a blog entry about how you are using your smart phone to amuse you in the shopping centre via WaveLog
2. Look for free wifi to post your blog entry (did not do so well on that front)
3. Look for new WAYS to get home via the maps that does not go past any more shops
4. Use the Accelerometer to see if the chair you are sitting on is level.
5. Use the Maps to see when it will get dark on the other side of the world
6. Check that the dictionary has all the correct words you want in it
7. Add random photos to your contact list
   
   
8. Move things around the Menu system, just to optimise accessing programmes.
9. Take photos of everything you can. Your feed, the ground, the ceiling
10. Make sure that your contact lists is sorting by last name and that every phone number has the full country code dialling
11. Read all the Help manuals on the phone
12. Get annoyed at wave log for not working as well as it should forcing you to make notes
13. Check that all your geo-tagged photos show up on the maps correctly.
14. Send Tweets out describing your bordom
    1. Listening to Depeche Mode’s Something to do. apt given i am just waiting for the shops to shut then & only then will i be free curse ex … … 05:38 PM June 22, 2008 from txt
    2. Over heard oh god i am so bored (oh wait i did say that not loud never mind) 04:14 PM June 22, 2008 from txt
    3. Now at the dfo why do girls like shopping so much 03:45 PM June 22, 2008 from txt
    4. I think i am the only straight man in the department 02:40 PM June 22, 2008 from txt
    5. No man chair in the hand bag section of myer i have to stand what is the world coming to 02:31 PM June 22, 2008 from txt
    6. At the biggest shopping centre in australia and do you think i can find wifi at the top food hall no   02:01 PM June 22, 2008  from txt

Tags: General, Photos // 2 Comments »