Living with Mangee

00:00:00 - Who let the brakes off the internet?

Actrix have recently been offering what they call "FreeTime" between 18:00 and 20:00 each day for their CyberJet Broadband customers. ( It's very cool.... ) It is a subtle plug for their ~$500 unlimited plan. (soon to be ~$600/mo), and they soon realise NZ communities are crying out for truly unlimited, boundless connectivity.

Current Mood: awake

18:55:00 - One more reason to plug into FreeView...

...our democratically elected leaders may be sleeping on live TV, and you don't want to miss that:

http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/latest/200709211752/parliament_tv_to_be_broadcast_on_freeview

Current Mood: amused

04:15:00 - Dugg: Apple ticking off New Zealand Mac users. No DST updates for NZ time change.

Quoting Russell Brown on Hard News "At 2.00am on Sunday September 30, New Zealand Daylight Saving Time will begin -- a week earlier than has previously been the case. It's looking very much like Macs won't be there". Apple to date hasn't seen fit to supply a patch... and with a week before it happens there is still issues with NZ keeping in sync with the rest of the world.

Yes, I submitted it to digg.com Apple did update their 'advice' on manually setting your clock during the week until the old rules change it automatically - but this still doesn't help issues with international calendaring - e.g I've got an online EMC conference next week - and constantly rely on iCal to give me timely notice of international events, such as other online Apple User Group meetings, or online events. Not just iCal, but anything that relies of a (non local) timestamp relating to a local one. So far UTC based events still seem ok, but anything in NZST/NZDT is a bit confusing.

Back ups that store times in UTC (converted from local) are an hour out in tests, and this will be a week of wrong backups - while an hour isn't that critical (it's a memo to all backup admins) - what have we missed?

Assuming Apple updates NZ with the rumoured 10.4.11 updates (due 27th September?) - there will likely be another slew of changes of timestamps as they are fixed. Argh! Apple has likely known about this for 6 months.. but is New Zealand so insignificant that it is only "September 13, 2007" before Apple even acknowledges there is a problem?

Great job Apple.

http://www.drury.net.nz/2007/09/19/daily-savings-time-on-osx/
http://publicaddress.net/default,4488.sm#post4488
http://publicaddress.net/system/topic,727,hard_news_deriving_satisfaction_from_the_misfortune_of_others.sm


read more | digg story

21:08:00 - A week till mini y2k, and no Apple NZDT update...

With New Zealand daylight time set to roll on a week earlier than ever before - at the end of this month, there has been growing concern amongst Apple system administrators and users over the failure of Apple to release an official update the includes patches for the changes in New Zealand Daylight Savings Time (NZDT).( Fears were allayed with the recent release of a patch by WellDev member, Glenn Anderson. )
Thanks to the efforts of WellDev the Wellington developers group and others, Glenn Anderson of mactcp.org.nz has released version 1.1 of a small application that will patch the time zone rules in 10.4.10 - including the files /usr/share/zoneinfo/Pacific/Auckland, /usr/share/icu/icudt32b.dat and icudt32l.dat, pending the rumoured 10.4.11 updates from Apple.

That should stop you having to (god forbid) manually adjust your clock downunder
Enjoy.

Current Mood: impressed

21:03:00 - Business.govt.nz

Sure it's got a Microsoft logo at the top, and asp in the url -- but I was surfing around the new business.govt.nz and ended up reading an article on technology basics. Got to love the outdated info you see, and the balanced articles, especially written by Microsoft about Apple.

Here something that fits into the basic knowledge you should have
"Apple claims that its top-end machines are faster than those running Windows. That is a matter of controversy; there are websites devoted to debunking Apple's claims."

Heh. Admittedly it does mention Motorola processors.. I think they went out with the dinosaurs. Intel now ain't it?

I'd better put a 'proper link' though:

business.govt.nz – the New Zealand government business site

business.govt.nz is a free and independent source of New Zealand business resources, and the fast way to find tools and information to help you start, manage or grow your business.

Current Mood: amused

21:40:00 - InternetNZ AGM...

I 'attended' the InternetNZ AGM in Wellington this evening. Look a bunch of photos, and did enjoy the event. I never left the house though, thanks to R2.co.nz streaming the event live, and IRC..

So the pictures are at http://flickr.com/photos/mangee/tags/InternetNZ. Excuse the low resolution - my Xtra connection could only support the 56k stream.

More later.

Current Mood: tired

01:32:00 - MovieFest Topic for 2007 is "In Retrospect"

Looking back on the years of MovieFest, i'm still up for it yet again!

The MovieFest Topic for 2007 is

In Retrospect

10:28:00 - SixXS goes global - with ipv6 tunnel endpoint in Wellington by ACSData.

12:32:00 - "THE ITINERANT ARTIST- Revisiting the paintings of William George Baker"

My great great grandfather-in-law's paintings are on exhibition at Pataka in Porirua at the moment, going to pop along this afternoon for a look. He was a landscape artist - who travelled the country painting, and selling his paintings in pubs and to the common people:

Current Music: Rumpelstiltskin - Prince Bertie the Frog - Storynory: Free Audio Stories for Kids

22:09:00 - Sounds like my iPhoto library needs this too:

Current Mood: amused

20:30:00 - iTunes finally reaches New Zealand.

http://stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3890492a13,00.html
iTunes launced in New Zealand.

I can finally stop buying from AU and US stores. yay for the real Apples.

The other month all the Renaissance (NZ Apple dealer) staff migrated away from @apple.co.nz -- I figured something was afoot.
See apple.co.nz

Current Music: Agnus Dei - Charlie Hall - Worship Together: I Could Sing Of Your Love Forever

00:21:00 - a "complex technology like broadband"

How complicated does it have to be.. sure if you filter it and manage it, and charge too much for it, then it gets complicated.. but does it have to be?

Quote attributed to 'Telecom' NZ in article:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/organisation/story.cfm?o_id=83&ObjectID=10412545
;)

Last week with Nat in the house I "Go Larged" my home adsl (formerly a CyberJet plan by Actrix), while it's "faster" and only $10 more... it kinda sucks. Give me real broadband any-day. dammit tho, the price is so 'good'

Current Mood: amused

12:15:00 - NZNOG or not?

I'm currently trying to decide if i can afford to go to NZNOG '06. This year would be ideal, and having it in wellington means no travel costs.

It's $250.
( The decision process )
304 Euro Dance Club Mixes #5 - Rockell - The Dance (Hex Dez Club Mix) - (Download if you like any Techno, Rave, Trance, Remix, DJ stuff or Webster Hall) 1 2 - Dance Club Mixes #5

Current Mood: contemplative

00:50:00 - New Zealand government warns about using open source

The government of New Zealand has posted a website warning againstreport outlining the pitfalls in the use of open source software. End users are warned that open source is "infectious" and should be "Quarantined".

The report seems to have got a few people humming over on digg.com.

We wouldn't want the secret code the government has to get GPL'd now would we.. :)

read more | digg story

Current Mood: amused