TBR.cc

Tip: How to view all comments on 1 page

Some readers are bemused by the new system* that splits comments over several pages. I don't know if this feature will be rolled back, but here's a work-around:
a) click headline of the article in question
b) scroll to the bottom of the comments
c) click the [Preview] button

This should show all the comments, but not the main article.

(* I've now used 4 blogging systems: MovableType, Blogger, Wordpress, Typepad. This one (typepad) is generally pretty good... but I reckon wordpress is the best, just quietly).

The cellphone debate

As a heavy user of mobile technology, and the first TV journalist in New Zealand to own a cellphone (my contractual arrangement became a template for others down the track), I have both applause for the move to ban handheld cellphone use in cars, but also questions about it.

Firstly, I think all of us can attest to hair-raising moments involving cellphones and drivers. However, according to official police stats only 32 fatalities over the past six years can be attributed to cellphone use.

That's five people a year from a 400 per year road toll. I'm not convinced that this is a major road safety issue on those figures, especially as cellphone use has exploded over the past decade while the road toll is now hitting its lowest ever figures. Whilst the number of accidents involving phones has gone up, it is probably just a reflection of cellphone penetration of the market overall. The biggest distraction in a car, I've found, are children who don't understand the perils of driving and who therefore fight/squawk/ask questions at hazardous moments which adult passengers are sensitive to.

Secondly, the issue of handsfree kits. Now I've tried a few of these. I think plug in headphones are as unsafe as holding the phone in your hand - possibly more so. The cords are distracting, they can fall out as you turn your head prompting a further scramble.

I have a bluetooth handsfree kit (Sudio), which is effectively a loudspeaker/mic combo that replicates the early hard-wired car kits. I find this can be distracting as well, because ambient noise can require excessive concentration on the "handsfree" conversation.

The only mobile phone in-car set up that I have found utterly compatible with driving is the bluetooth earpiece. The lack of wires means I can listen to the conversation on the phone but have utterly unrestricted movement of my head and arms which is of course essential for driving.

It is not the conversation that distracts, so much as the subsconscious restrictions of having to either hold something, or keep your head close to a loudspeaker, or restrict your movements so wires don't become entangled.

Pakistan knocks out Youtube

Yesterday morning when I posted about the Eurovision song contest I intended to use a video from Youtube  frame my post.

But alas Youtube was not there anymore - the "server not found" message consistently displayed in my browser.

Now the truth is out.

It appears that the Government of Pakistan ordered access to Youtube blocked throughout the land "because of content deemed offensive to Islam."

And when the Country's ISPs complied they succeeded, not only blocking  Youtube to users in Pakistan but to Youtube users all over the planet as well.

Anyway Youtube is all better now so I can use a video in this post - chosen because it is a beautiful thing in a sometimes ugly world, a hymn to the Resurrection of Christ - the most seminal event in human history and  because it has a peripheral connection to the previous post being the work of  Divna Ljubojevic, a native of Belgrade, the city where the Irish Turkey is due to sing in May.

Microsoft caught hacking...

NZ's PC World magazine is being quoted on WorldNetDaily over a story suggesting Microsoft has been caught updating computers by stealth even when users had specified NO automatic updates.

I wondered about this myself a few weeks ago after discovering an update had taken place that I had not authorised. Wish I had paid more attention to what was played with.

"Chick-net" has arrived

The Times of London is reporting women are now the predominant species online.

Move over Geeks, it is now officially estrogen that is fuelling the net.

Meanwhile, one such female has posted a 300 page iPhone bill online....

Welcome to the real world, Apple...

If, like me, you got sick of those smarmy East Coasty Mac vs PC TV ads recently, you probably noted the Apple guy boasting about the lack of security issues they face.

Well, until now. The launch of iPhone is opening up a little hornet's nest.

Heads-up

As part of adding more functionality to the main Investigate magazine website, we've added a multimedia page where you can access streaming radio and TV feeds. Gradually, even more content will be added.

Telecom comes clean on its "go large" plan

A few months ago I recieved a call from Telecom.

They were ringing to tell me thay had a new Broadband Plan - Go Large.

They also said that the Plan that I was on was a 'sunset plan' and I could stay on it if I wished but the new Go Large plan would give me the same speeds without the Data Cap.

They did say that if I did do large downloads in peak times they might slow my connection down but otherwise I would notice no difference.

Who could resist, although I rarely reached my data limit on the plan I was on, in fact this only happened once or twice  during school holidays, funny that eh.

But who could resist - I don't download movies at peak time or any other time and if my kids do a  large download and service for them is degraded as a result well what's that to me?

So I changed to Go Large.

Big mistake, my service was degraded despite my relatively low data download usage.

I don't know what plan Ian is on, but he posted on his problems he was having internet speed  in December

After numerous complaints Telecom has now come clean. Go Large is not performing as promised.

Telecom has admitted it made an error with its Go Large broadband plan and is to credit customers of the service.

An internal technical review of the service, launched in October, identified an issue with how internet traffic was being managed on the plan, Telecom said today.

With around 60,000 customers on the Go Large service, the refunds were expected to total $7.5 million to $8.5 million.

Telecom has also decided to temporarily stop signing up new customers on to the Go Large plan until it has completed further reviews into the service.

Existing Go Large customers will have the option to stay on the plan with a revised traffic management policy.

The Commerce Commission is also investigating after receiving complaints the service was not delivering what was promised.

I await with baited breath to see what Telecom offers to rectify this situation and how much my refund will be.