As we all know BitTorrent piracy is always in the news, both here and overseas. Well iiNet is being sued over BitTorrent piracy by the major film companies and Chanel 7. I’m currently a Westnet customer using ADSL 2 with a combined 60GB monthly limit and now that Westnet is under the iiNet banner this is of interest to me. I’ve personally had a gutful of commercial tv and the programming, which treats all users like complete morons. Now that the old and tried formula is failing on viewers both young and old the heavies are up to the same old tricks of intimidation.

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Tags: BitTorrent, iiNet

Yesterday a group of us took a day trip to Bluff Knoll which is the highest point in the south-west of Western Australia and is situated in the Stirling Range. The drive from Perth is about 4 hrs heading south along Albany Hwy.

It is 1,095 m above sea level and is one of the very few places that snow has been reported in Western Australia, with snow falling usually once a year. The most recent ‘heavy’ snow was recorded on October 6, 1992. Now on this day the weather seemed to change every few minutes from light rain, to warm winter sun shine and then very strong winds at a seconds notice. I was so glad I packed warm clothes and gloves when I got to the top.

Climbing Bluff Knoll took about four hours, on a 6 km return track which tested my level of fitness to be honest. Don’t think its a level trail by any means, in places its a real test on your legs. It is also possible to ascend the face of the bluff with rock climbing equipment, but i think ill leave that to the pro’s. At the top the temperature was very cold and the wind was extremely strong.

The view from the summit encompasses the Stirling and Porongurup mountain ranges, as well as the coast near Albany which is visible on a clear day. I must say I was amazed by the view and the chance to get some pictures was well worth the effort. Bluff Knoll is visible from Albany, along with Toolbrunup.

View Bluff Knoll Photo Gallery from this great day out. Thanks go out to my mate Kim who organised this trip.

Where: Bluff Knoll is in the Stirling Range National Park, around 400km southeast of Perth and 80km north of Albany.
Why: It’s the highest peak in southern WA
Grade: A steep and unrelenting climb, ascending more than 700m. Pack for alpine conditions.

More Info:  CALM Albany office (08) 9842 4500, Stirling Range NP

Tags: Bluff Knoll

Perth has so many places to just get out on the bike. Bike paths surround the city so it makes it easy to see so much safely and enjoy these warm winter days. I have really started to enjoy getting out on the bike again and soak up this great city. Today from home in East Perth to Victoria Park, onto Burswood and back home. Today I just went out with the Nokia N95 and took a few photos. Check out the updated Perth and Motoring galleries.

Tags: bike

I was excited to finally make it to Korea for a holiday. It was a flight of just over 8hrs from Dubai to Incheon International Airport which is the largest airport in South Korea, and one of the largest and busiest in Asia. It fully deserves the full 5-star ranking by Skytrax, a prestigious recognition shared only by Hong Kong International Airport and Singapore Changi Airport at this time.

From arrival to customs and baggage collection everything was fantastic. The weather was very warm and hazy most days which again was a change from the cold weather in Perth i left behind. We stayed at the Renaissance Hotel in Seoul and managed to see lots of of the local attractions and landmarks.

The people were very helpful and friendly and getting around the city on the subway system was a breeze. The Canon 40D got its first good workout and performed well with excellent battery life over the trip. The Kata DR-467 bag proved to be a good choice and managed to carry all my gear without hassle.

I have posted an image gallery of my favourite photos from the trip. View Gallery

Tags: Seoul Korea

Virgin Mobile has officially commenced sale of the iPhone 3G in Australia effective today Friday 1 August 2008. The iPhone 3G went on sale at Virgin stores around Australia offering the best data plan currently available in the country at a huge 5GB.

Now this is more like it, its still not unlimited but we are now starting to see plans with realistic data allowances.

Virgin will sell the 8GB iPhone 3G for $0 upfront on a $70 monthly plan, which includes $520 worth of calls and 1GB of data. If you are willing to cough up an extra $30 per month, you will receive an extra 4GB of data and get the 16GB iPhone 3G for $0 up front. All Virgin iPhone plans are based on 24 month contracts.

Virgin is also offering the option to unlock the iPhone from its network for $80, plus an additional $250 “early evacuation” fee if users opt out within six months.

Now note that Virgin is a wholly owned subsidiary of Optus.  What will this mean for all those customers who have already signed up with Optus and recieved much less data?

In less than 3 weeks we have seen many plans in Australia for the iPhone 3G, from the bad through to plans that are now more in the ball park. I think this is only the start and i expect things to heat up as carriers push for customers.

My decision to hold of being an early adopter has been difficult, but I’m relieved not to have signed a plan weeks ago and be waiting for a phone with this latest news.

View full details of the Virgin plans

Tags: Apple, iPhone, Virgin

One of my friends Kim called me last night with the news he had just got his iPhone 3G and wanted to share the news. A couple of hours later he called by to show off his new gadget. Its a white 16GB model and i must say the white is a classic Mac looking product. A couple more friends have contacted me after waiting for weeks and weeks for their providers to get stock, including Jane who got her black 16gb iPhone just before a trip away. So lets look in the box.

Tags: Apple, iPhone

For those of us that use eBay as a seller or buyer or have followed the recent issues in Australia with PayPal and the ACCC concerning the eBay proposal to mandate the use of PayPal for almost all transactions on the eBay site will find these latest 3 news stories interesting. I’m not surprised by any of these stories and what once seemed like a hip online company appears to be losing its shine in many ways.

The bigger picture is that if consumer confidence in such a big operator like eBay shifts away from buying online, it may spell doom for smaller operators or new businesses trying to enter the online marketplace. I buy many items online from both local and overseas suppliers on a regular basis and I found these companies through referrals from friends and trusted sources who’s opinions i trust.

I personally don’t ever buy big ticket items through eBay and I never just base a purchase on seller feedback. Also check what level of insurance may be available to cover you through PayPal or your chosen credit provider if the purchase goes bad.

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Tags: eBay, PayPal

My current weapon of choice is a Nokia N95 8GB which Ive had since Jan 2008. I love the phone still and find all the onboard features fit my daily needs and really that’s what is important. Like cars these days most phones are much the same, with some better than others depending on your price bracket. I’m a fan of the iPhone 3G but as in previous posts I’m disappointed by the plans offered currently and so have decided to hold off for a while.

For me the Nokia good points are

• 8GB on board storage
• Wi-Fi, GPS
• 5-megapixel camera
• Great build quality
• Nokia menu usability
• great onboard speakers
• excellent reception and call quality
• good screen size and display quality
• Bluetooth and default connections

I now use this as a point and shoot when a quick pick is needed on the fly, a well as listening to music and podcasts. Ive downloaded the typical few games and Google maps to compliment the bundled Nokia maps which is great for turn by turn navigation with the GPS.

The one think I have wanted to do is sync it with my iTunes and then my Nano could be left behind at times when i just want the 1 device.

After some research and thinking about what was the best way i decided on using iTunes Sync to handle the task.

1. Pretty easy just download and install iTunes Sync and then configure it to work with my N95.
2. Connect the USB connector from the phone to the laptop and select data transfer
3. Make sure iTunes is open and open iTunes Sync
4. Configure the phone as a device and I created a new playlist in iTunes which is what i use to sync with the phone. [help files are easy]
5. Then sync
6. All my video and audio podcasts as well as music files were transferred and filed correctly in videos, podcasts and music.

The software will work with MP3 players and id guess most phones.

Tags: iTunes, N95, Nokia

Well now being the proud owner of a Canon EOS 40D i had to decide on the best way to carry it when out and about. I travel quiet a bit so i looked around to try to find a bag that was multipurpose, a kind of road warrior all in one bag.  Now admittedly i have a weakness for bags and luggage in general especially gear that is well made and shows a thought out design process. The beauty of the web and the social contacts you make around the world, is that you get tips and suggestions for products and services outside what you see locally. This is how i found out about Kata Bags.

They have so much great gear and i decided on the Kata DR-467 - Digital Rucksack.

This bag is great with fantastic build quality and the layout of the storage options is excellent. It enables me to store all my digital gear easily including my laptop, phone, iPod, camera and so much more. It also comes with an optional trolley insert if you need one . Soon ill do a “Whats in my bag” post A la Lifehacker which you should check out, its so amazing to see what people carry these days.

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Tags: Kata, Tech and Gadgets

After reading a post on a friends blog i was inspired to put together a list of the camera’s that i have owned or been given as gifts from my family. It was interesting to see how far we have come over the years. My passion for photography is stronger than ever, one that was shared by my dad. I love taking pictures from places I’m lucky enough to visit or just capturing something that catches my eye when I’m out and about every day.

The one trend i have noticed is that most of my cameras have been a Canon and all of them have been excellent, never letting me down. My latest gadget a Canon 40D is simply excellent and makes me want to get out there and capture more and more pictures.

This is a gallery of the cameras, its like a timeline and brings back lots of memories.

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Tags: 40D, Camera, Canon, Kodak, Polaroid, Sony