SiC – David Sidwell

Here’s the updated list of the podcasts I listen too, most found via iTunes or the ABC web site.  These are audio-only, so ABC means ABC Radio, usually Radio National. Major changes in the year since I last did this list include:

• ABC Radio now offering individual story podcasts. A year ago you had to grab the entire (say) 1 hour episode of Late Night Live or the Science Show. Whilst you can still do that, they now offer a 2nd ‘per show’ podcast feed; the individual stories of that show. You can pick (download) only the stories you are interested in.
• ABC Radio now has subject-based podcast feeds. As per above, if LNL does an individual story with a science focus, that is also added to ABC Radio Nationals (new) science feed. Along with stories/episodes from other shows. So this single feed covers multiple shows.

Both changes are just excellent. I appreciate the effort and use them many times a week. Thanks ABC! 

Must Gets: Every Episode downloaded

• Astronomy Cast
• StarStuff
• 365 Days of Astronomy : “The (International Year of Astronomy) 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is a project that will publish one podcast per day, for all 365 days of 2009. The podcast episodes are written, recorded and produced by people around the world.”
• Skeptoid   Logic and critical thinking will always win out.
• Digital Living (ABC)
• Dr Karl’s Great Moments in Science  (ABC) 

Continue reading “Podcast List – August 2009″

Late August 2009 list. Plus I actually have an iPod Touch, not an iPhone, so none of these (below) reply on GPS/compass, 3G nor camera. I use  WiFi for my Internet connectivity, both at home and hotspots when out.

One big thing for me is synchronisation; having my data available in more than one place. I really like the convenience and flexibility this gives me. If I see a good book/movie/wine/song or anything, I can record the information about it on the iPod then have it available back on the (home) browser etc.  Ditto if I think of something I need to do, someone to email, a general idea etc.

Ones I use virtually every day (non-games)

Contacts, Calendar and Mail are built-in apps. All sync with my Google account.

Byline gives me article summaries (aka RSS feeds). More than that, it syncs with Google Reader. Tried free version, loved it and brought full version.

Related to this is Instapaper. On PC browser I see an article I want to read later,  I click on the Read Later link/button in Firefox and Instapaper saves just the text from the article per se ..and later I synch with the iPod to read the story when I want. No net connection needed after synch! Nice.  Tried free version and bought full version.

WiFi Trak. Enhances built in function of finding and managing WiFi connections. Worth the small purchase price.

Metlink.  Train, trams and bus timetables. Smart search. Favourite (stops) with ‘next service’ etc etc.  Started as an independent app, now ‘officially’ supported by the Met people. Free and a must have.

Shopper.  A very useful app for managing shopping lists. Not free, but I use it regularly, mainly for Coles. Over time you can build up your own data; what items cost and what aisles they are in for a given store. Easy to sort by aisle. When not in store it’s quick to – then and there – do the ‘I need cereal’ stuff.  Easy to work out if you hit the magic $30 petrol-discount number too.

Evernote.  As they say “Remember Everything – Capture what you like. Find it when you want”.  Browser, stand-alone and iPhone versions all talk to each other. This is where i keep my general info (aka notes to self), list of things to buy/read/drink, plus I will use the ‘capture’ tool on the PC to grab (part of) a page, text and graphics, then it can be synched to the iPhone. Nice.

Ultimate Todos. Google have just started up a To Do list system. Still not enough function for me, so I use the web-based Toodledo. Ultimate Todos is cheap and works very well  with Toodledo.

Continue reading “iPhone Apps I use”

There’s just something about this walk – and location – that trips me up every time. Not literally, but I have tried twice now and failed to finish it both times. It’s in the Little Peninsula and Big Peninsula tunnels area.

First time was late Jan 2008 and it was hot. Climbed up and down the roller-coaster hills near the Little Peninsular tunnel. Only to find the track closed from there on.  Worked out the way back to the car, without doing the roller-coaster again. But a bit later on, found I’d lost the map. Reached for the spare…and discovered it was back at home.

Remained calm and retraced my steps…finding the map on the side of the road. Just as a HUGE log truck came roaring toward it, threatening to hurl it into the creek. Just grabbed it in time.

Not quite out of trouble yet. Discovered room I was staying in had no fridge, a/c nor fly spray. So nowhere to store milk etc I’d brought for breakfast!  They let me put it in their fridge downstairs. But a hot night spent with buzzing mosquitoes ensured.

Found out later that the walk was officially closed due to logging, but someone hadn’t updated the Parks Vic web site.

This time it was the roller-coaster hills being dangerously slippery. After gingerly finishing them, I decided it was too risky to push on  with the exact route  (as it returned via these hills again).  This time, however, I used the map and worked out I could do most of the route and then ‘veer off’ down a road (c/f a track) and head back out the same way as during the Summer. Worked a treat.

Again the accommodation – but a different place – caused me grief. But partially my own fault. The room was BYO bedding.   What a time to discover my 15 year old, K-Mart special sleeping bag doesn’t work when it’s really chilly.   Woke up so cold it hurt.   Now, some places provide a spare blanket just in case, but not this one.  I had looked at a blanket just before leaving home and thought “nah, if I need one, they’ll have one…”

Got fully dressed and back in the bag. No real difference. Woke up about 10 more times, numbingly cold.  Found out it had been 0c down at Coldstream that night, so I reckon it was below freezing in that room.   There was an old, very  noisy heater; it sounded like a 747 taking off and even I couldn’t sleep through that.

So Take 3 looms, probably this summer. I wonder what will happen this time.

<August 18th 2009>