Microsoft vs General Motors

An oldie but a goody! It may be a bit moot now that GM has been having so many financial problems but it is still good for a LOL :)

Microsoft vs. General Motors

At a recent computer expo, Bill Gates reportedly compared the computer industry with the auto industry and stated “If GM had kept up with technology like the computer industry has, we would all be driving $25.00 cars that got 1,000 miles to the gallon.
In response to Bill’s comments, General Motors issued a press release stating: If GM had developed technology like Microsoft, we would all be driving cars with the following characteristics:

1. For no reason whatsoever, your car would crash twice a day.
2. Every time they repainted the lines in the road, you would have to buy a new car.
3. Occasionally your car would die on the freeway for no reason. You would have to pull over to the side of the road, close all of the windows, shut off the car, restart it, and reopen the windows before you could continue. For some reason you would simply accept this.
4. Occasionally, executing a maneuver such as a left turn would cause your car to shut down and refuse to restart, in which case you would have to reinstall the engine.
5. Macintosh would make a car that was powered by the sun, was reliable, five times as fast and twice as easy to drive – but would run on only five percent of the roads.
6. The oil, water temperature, and alternator warning lights would all be replaced by a single “General Protection Fault” warning light.
7. The airbag system would ask “Are you sure?” before deploying.
8. Occasionally, for no reason whatsoever, your car would lock you out and refuse to let you in until you simultaneously lifted the door handle, turned the key and grabbed hold of the radio antenna.
9. Every time GM introduced a new car, car buyers would have to learn to drive all over again because none of the controls would operate in the same manner as the old car.
10. You’d have to press the “Start” button to turn the engine off.

'Sexy' Wii game unveils worst trailer of all time

'Sexy' Wii game unveils worst trailer of all time - News - PC & Tech Authority.

Hmmm... I don't know if I want to laugh or be disturbed by this game and it's trailer... It's Ubisofts' answer to swingers parties...

I mean seriously... Someone actually thought to make a video game? And it's actually rated PG!

It is one of those thing's you have to see to believe but caution once you have seen it you cannot unsee it!
But if you insist on watching make sure you check out all the alternate endings! ;)

There's an App for That! - One for the Girls!

OK this one is for the girls. If you are a guy you should stop reading right now. You have been forewarned!

So Girls, do you know when the first day of your last period was? What about the due date of your next period? If you had to stop and think then this app is for you (and even if you didn't have to stop and think this app could still be useful!)

iPeriod Free is a menstrual/period calendar by WinkPass Creations. It is super easy to use and is great at tracking data. Why do we need to track our cycle? It could be for any number of reasons, from trying to avoid pregnancy or trying to get pregnant. Maybe you just don't want to be caught unaware by that time of the month. Also keeping a good record of cycles can help identify health issues, and keep track of when you are due for checkups.

Enough about why let's get down to what this app can do! So this is the description from the App Store:

iPeriod's beautiful VISUAL CALENDAR makes it easy for you to view your menstrual cycles at a glance... complete with emoticons, unique icons symbolizing your symptoms, expected periods, fertile days, ovulation and more!

FEATURES

• DISCREET icon name "iP"
• PREDICTS your future 12 periods
• Predicts ovulation and fertility
• ALERTS you when your period is expected or late!
• Tracks SYMPTOMS and moods
• 4 CUSTOMIZABLE symptoms
• FREEFORM NOTES
• BACKUP your data to upgrade to iPeriod Ultimate
• Calendar view with ICONS representing your notes
• Password PROTECTION
• Self breast exam reminders
• PREGNANCY mode!
• REMEMBERS your last period dates so that you don't have to!
• HELP Screen (“i” button on Settings Screen)
• Customizable with various skins and calendar styles

Enter your period for at least two consecutive cycles, and iPeriod calculates your average duration, cycle length and estimates the dates of your next expected periods, fertile days and ovulation! Each time new data is entered, statistics are updated.

I have been using iPeriod for over 18 months now and love it. It makes it so easy to track my cycle and know when I'm due. I used iPeriod Free for about 2 months before upgrading to iPeriod Ultimate (only AU$2.49) the free version does the job but there are extra features available in the Ultimate version which I have found useful. iPeriod® Ultimate has more Skins, 80+ symptoms & moods, Backup/Restore, Email Export, Email Alerts, No Ads, Weight-tracking and Graphs!

If you want more information or want to see a demo or screen shots of the app in action please check out the WinkPass website!

There's an App for That! - Attention uni students!

New iPhone/Android app makes students' lives easier - News - PC & Tech Authority.

Writing up your bibliography or reference lists are now easier than ever. The new "Quick Cite" app allows you to scan the barcode of your book and it will email you the reference so all you have to do is copy and paste. No more searching the inside cover for details! I have downloaded and tested and can say it works! I give my tick of approval to the clever creators.

The app is $1.19 in the Australian App Store (US$1 for Android) and I think it will save me a some time so it is worth it :)

Resume writing tips!

Recently I seem to be giving a lot of advice regarding resume writing so I thought I would make a post about it. A resume is an important document for anyone looking for a job, whether you are just out of school, graduating university, looking to go from part time to full time, changing jobs, applying for promotions or changing careers! It is that one document that is the first step into making that change. If you have a poorly written resume you may never actually get an opportunity to sell yourself in a face to face interview.

read more at www.amymartin.me

It’s Not Cheating! (No REALLY it isn’t!)

Do you want a copy of Microsoft Office Professional but don't want to spend big $$? Would you like a copy for only $99? Well if you are a student and have a valid ".edu.au" email address you can!

If you would like to get your copy of Office for only $99 visit Microsoft's website www.itsnotcheating.com.au and follow the links to order your copy today.

This is a completely legitimate offer directly from Microsoft; you won't find this offer in your local retail store. There are also a number of other software deals available on the website so check it out today.

Please note that this offer is only available to current students that have access to a valid .edu.au email address.

Amazon Kindle 2nd Generation

EBook readers are the future of books. They offer a solution to carrying around heavy paperbacks and offer the flexibility of downloading new books from almost anywhere (home, work, coffee shop, beach etc! A great solution for people that live in a town with no bookstore - like me!). Now before I go any further I will explain what an eBook and eBook reader are for those who aren't aware (the rest of you can continue reading down further):

An eBook is an electronic book. As its names suggests you will require an electronic device to read an electronic book. This can be a computer, iPhone or other smartphone, iPad or tablet PC or a dedicated eBook reader.

A dedicated eBook reader generally has an eInk screen, basically a type of electronic paper, that uses a very small electric current to "write" on the page. It uses very little power meaning your eBook reader has a long battery life. And it is just like reading a book - the display looks like paper, there is no glare that you may find on computer or phone screens and there is no back light so you won't strain your eyes from reading a lit up screen for a long period.

Now I had known about eBooks for a while after discovering various iPhone apps offering the ability to read books on your phone. "Awesome" I thought, but after a while you tend to strain your eyes reading on such a small back-lit screen, so I started looking into the eBook readers. I did a lot of research into the eBook readers available at the time (and there were quite a few) I started reading user reviews (like this one!) to see what people thought first hand. The other readers I was looking at had good and bad reviews - they all had their ups and downs. The Kindle came out on top of the user reviews I read so I looked into purchasing it.

I thought I would check out eBay first to see if I could get a Kindle in Australia at a reasonable price. I managed to score a second-hand one that hadn't had much use (the iPad had just been released and a lot of eBook fans were making the switch to the iPad with it's big flashy colour screen). So I received my first Kindle in the post a few days after ordering, and it was everything I thought it would be. It was easy to sign up for an Amazon account and I started looking for through the thousands of free books they had on offer (yes that's right I said FREE - one of the reasons I decided to get a Kindle over some of the other readers was the sheer number of eBooks they have available including 1.8 million eBooks available for FREE!!). In addition to the free books they had on offer Amazon offer best sellers at a fraction of the cost you can expect to pay for a paperback.

I found downloading and syncing purchases really easy. I was also able to sync my purchases across devices, i.e. I had the Kindle Reading App on my iPhone and PC and could sync my purchases through the three very easily (I have also since purchased another Kindle for my mum and have that on the same account so that we can share books between us). The Kindle is a very responsive device, page turns are quickly updated (compared with some other model readers I looked at) and the screen contrast was very good - making it easier to read. You can also ready PDF files on the Kindle which was an advantage to me as a lot of the files I use for work are in PDF format. The only downfall that really affected me with this device was it's inability to have additional media storage like and SD card, but the internal storage of the Kindle is capable of holding thousands of books so this was a big let down. The 2nd generation Kindle (the one pictured above) is lightweight, thin and has a long battery life - if you are reading most days you can still expect to get almost 2 weeks out of the device (more if you turn the wireless capabilities off while you don't need it).  It is easy to hold and the buttons are placed in convenient locations for turning the page.

I absolutely adore my Kindle, I thought I would have to suffer the delays of getting new books when I moved to a town with no bookshop but Kindle provided the solution. I loved it so much that I went ahead and bought a 3rd generation Kindle when it was released (the review on the new model is coming soon) - and with the high Aussie Dollar at the moment it was very good value ordering directly from the Amazon website (there is a link on the left side of the page if you are interested in getting one yourself!). This device is one of my top recommendations to anyone who loves to read!



Read more at www.amymartin.me

Amazon Kindle 3G eBook Reader

The 3rd generation of Amazon Kindle has been out for about five months now and has been listed as the best selling item in Amazon's history, and it'snot surprising. Riding on the success on the previous generations the Kindle 3G is smaller, lighter, faster, has better battery life and better contrast. It has also been released in wifi and 3G versions making it more affordable to users.

The wifi version is USD$139 rrp and allows the user to access to the Amazon Kindle store through any wifi hotspots. In addition to wifi the 3G edition for USD$189 allows for free global wireless access from almost anywhere in the world.



This generation of Kindle is 15% lighter and 21% more compact. The improved battery life allows for up to a month between charges with wireless turned off. It has 20% faster page turns and improved PDF support.

All in all this model is a major improvement on the 2nd generation model. This Kindle is so lightweight and compact making it a joy to use while reading. Searching the Kindle store for new titles is quick and easy and you can download new purchases and be reading them within minutes.

Read more at www.amymartin.me

Vista Print - business cards and promo material

Vista Print is a great website for all your business or personal promotional material. From business cards and posters, to hats and shirts Vista Print has something for everyone.

I have tried a number of different products from Vista Print and I highly recommend them. I have used them for promotional material for my website (business cards, postcards, magnets, car window stickers, bags and stamps) all of which was really good value and excellent quality.

For home I have ordered stamps, return address labels, business cards, and postcards. I have also used Vista Print to create postcard and magnet invitations for birthdays, engagements and weddings. Top quality products at really reasonable prices and a number of postage options meaning you can grab yourself a real bargain!

The site is easy to use and there are lots of different options and templates for various products check the site out, plus if you want a good starting deal click on the banner link at the top of the screen to get 250 free business cards to start off your order.

Read more at www.amymartin.me

Tindal Trader: Great Success!

The Tindal Trader has been a great success so far and I would like to thank everyone for helping me make it so! We now have over 100 registered users! And currently have over 70 active listings so be sure to check back regularly so you can pick up a bargain.

The Tindal Trader is a great way to clear out that spare room or garage, or advertise for something you want. We have also added categories in accommodation so if you have a spare room you don't mind letting out then advertise it today. We also have our Events section so if you are a member of a club and want to advertise your event you can log on and let others know about it.

We have recently introduced long length advertising packs to cater for those people that run a service or wish to have their ad up longer than 30 days and don't want the hassle of resubmitting their listing every month. Ad packs are available from $6 for 180 days or $10 for 365 days. We are also looking at starting banner advertising soon so if you are a local business and are looking to advertise on the site for locals to see please contact me for more details! I can even offer banner design to save you the trouble.

Don't forget we also have a forum which I would like to see used more! It is there to discuss anything you like and I hope you will use to to help others who are new to the area.

Other exciting news for the Tindal Trader:
We have recently been in discussions Tindal Community Times the newsletter for Defence families. The conversation started as a way to get more people aware of the Trader and led to: "some defence spouses don't get access to the TCT newsletter because they live in town and their partners don't think to bring it home" (and other such comments to the same point!). So after a few discussions and ideas TCT and the Tindal Trader have come up with a solution! New editions of the Tindal Community Times will now be available online through the Tindal Trader! Check out the TCT tab on the website for more information and the latest edition.

Now for a little bit about me - some people may be wondering how I am, what I do, and why have I started this site?
My name is Amy Martin (there is my pic so you can put a face to the name!), I moved to Katherine December 2009, and like many other people here my partner is in the RAAF. I have a background in IT and like designing websites as a hobby (maybe one day I will do it more seriously! If you would like to see some of the sites I have made please see my blog and follow the links). Since moving to Katherine I have been in a number of jobs before finding one I truly enjoy and that is as the IT lecturer at CDU Katherine (so if you are looking to complete a course come and see me!). I also volunteer for St John so if you see me around come and say hi!

So why did I start the site? I started the Tindal Trader as I recognised a need when I wanted to sell something. I either had to make a up multiple flyers to stick up all over the place, nag my hubby to put it on the DRN (which then only defence workers can see) or I pay money to put it in the Katherine Times newspapers. I thought there had to be a better way. Now having a background in IT I was well aware of such sites as the Trading Post and eBay neither of which is really targeted at locals and so I thought I would make something to suit! And so www.tindaltrader.com was born! Some people question why have I offered it for free? Well I don't see why people should have to pay to advertise things, in saying that the set up and upkeep of the site is not free for me. So I started with the free listings and there will always be a free option, but I have now also introduced paid advertising options. As mentioned earlier banner advertising is now available also please contact me if you are interested. I have also introduced a donations button found at the bottom of the page of the website - I appreciate anyone in a position to donate to help keep the site up and running! I did not start the Tindal Trader to make a profit but as I mentioned there are costs to running the site.

I would like to thank everyone for their fantastic support and I really hope it continues. Spread the word of the Tindal Trader to anyone that might be interested and remember to mention it to all those new families posting in!

Cheers!

Amy

My US Address Service

myUS.com is the perfect companion to any Kindle or eBook reader. If you are accustomed to using eBooks through such providers as Amazon you may have come across every now and then a book that you aren't able to download due to "Geographical restrictions". Now the reason why you can't purchase these items is because the publishers have only signed up for electronic publishing in certain countries (for this example we will use Australia and America). My Kindle is registered to my address in Australia, today I went to download a book on the Kindle store by Dean Koontz (Darkness Under the Sun) and was told I couldn't due to such geographical restrictions. Now I remember reading a while ago about a service that allows you to register for an American postage address to allow one to sign up for such things as the American Kindle store. So I went and found the article I read and logged onto myUS.com and signed up.

Read more at www.amymartin.me

My Top 25 Useful Websites

Useful Websites

Home Entertainment:

Internet Movie Database www.imdb.com.au

The place to go when you want to know “the name of that guy in the movie” a database of movies and television programs, actors, directors, all the other movie related things you need to know about.
When you are looking for something to watch all of the main Australian television broadcasters now provide snippets and sometimes full episodes of many of their programs online. Here are a few of my favourites:

iView www.abc.net.au/iview
Plus7 http://au.tv.yahoo.com/plus7/
Channel 10 www.ten.com.au

(note you will need a broadband connection to watch videos online and they can be quite large files so please be mindful if you have set data limits with your provider)

Applications:

Firefox www.mozilla.com/firefox

One of the world’s leading browsers that isn’t made by Microsoft! Firefox is easy to use and relatively fast at browsing online.

Chrome www.google.com/chrome

Another alternative internet browser this one is made by Google. Chrome is very fast at browsing and has the added benefit of doing Google searches from the address bar.

Open Office www.openoffice.org

If you are reluctant to pay for the hefty price tag of Microsoft Office here is a FREE alternative. Open Office also has an extensions repository (extensions.services.openoffice.org/) so you can set up Open Office to save documents in a format that others with Microsoft Office can read.

Windows Live explore.live.com/windows-live-essentials

Microsoft have a great range of software and online services that are completely FREE! Do more with Windows on your PC with free programs from Microsoft for photos, movies, instant messaging, email, social networking, and more, including basic versions of Word and Excel for online use.

Gimp www.gimp.org

GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a FREE picture editing program. It is great for touch ups of photos.

Dropbox www.dropbox.com

Have you ever lost or forgot to bring your USB stick somewhere? Dropbox is an online storage program that allows you to access your files from any computer with an internet connection! It’s very handy features have even been extended to allow use on devices like iPhones, iPads, Android, and Blackberry.

Shopping:

Scam Watch www.scamwatch.gov.au

Ever wondered if that offer was just too good to be true? Generally it is, but if you are unsure check out the Government’s Scam Watch website. It not only covers internet scams but other mail, phone and door to door scams. So be vigilant and play a part in your own safety!

Credit card Compare www.creditcardcompare.com.au

Find the best credit card for you – compare credit cards between the banks and credit unions. You could end up saving lots of money finding a card that may be better suited to you.

eBay www.ebay.com.au

Australia’s online market! A place to buy and sell items online. Be sure to read eBay’s rules and guides to help protect you from online scams.

Catch of the Day www.catchoftheday.com.au

A different deal everyday. Catch of the Day offers fantastic discounts on a huge range of products.

Deals Direct www.dealsdirect.com.au

One of Australia’s online department stores, shop from home and have items delivered to your door.

Travel:

Web Jet www.webjet.com.au

A quick and easy way to compare flights around Australia. You put in the where you are starting from, where you want to go and the dates and web jet will compile a list of flights and carriers offering you an easy solution to picking the best deals.

Wot If www.wotif.com.au

Wot If is another great travel sight you can use for booking accommodation (in Australia and around the world). You put in the destination and the date and Wot If will provide you with a list of accommodation venues to suit all budgets. If you are looking to treat yourself on a budget take a look at Wot If’s Mystery Deals top class hotels at budget prices – the catch is you won’t know what hotel it is until you book!

One Bag www.onebag.com

Want to travel light but don’t want to forget something important? Check out One bag a site dedicated to travellers that need that little bit of help to pack. They provide itineraries on what to pack and how to pack.

Security

Cyber Smart www.cybersmart.gov.au

The government have created this website to help individuals and families understand the risks of the online world. It has lots of information for adults and children of all ages.

Free Antivirus Programs

Now there is no reason not to have an antivirus program on your computer as there are many free options available. Antivirus programs protect your computer from nasty software known as viruses, Trojans or worms (just to name a few). Here are my recommended free programs:

Avira AntiVir Personal www.avira.com/en/avira-free-antivirus

AVG free.avg.com

General

News www.news.com.au

Keep on top of news online from around Australia and around the World. With links to many of the top Australian newspapers this site should be one of your first places to go for news.

Wikipedia www.wikipedia.org

The online free encyclopaedia on all you want to know (and probably a lot that you don’t!). Wikipedia is an online collaborative that anyone can add or edit.

Whirlpool www.whirlpool.net.au

Whirlpool started as an online forum to compare internet providers and while it does still do that it has now grown to a vast community of members that discuss almost any topic you can think of. If you have a question that hasn’t been asked on the forum before submit it and see what replies you get. Forums can be a fantastic source of information but be prepared that some people can be hostile when they are hidden behind their online profile.

ACCC www.accc.gov.au

Know your rights when it comes to consumer products warranties. The ACCC website has lots of information to help consumers.