Lexar Platinum Series new speed rating

Lexar has expanded its Platinum Series cards to include Memory Stick Pro and Secure Digital flash media. The full range of cards, which Lexar says is ideal for digital cameras that capture video and stills, are also now speed rated at 40X, equivalent to a sustained read/write speed of 6MB per second. Lexar Platinum cards are available in capacities of 256 MB, 512MB and 1GB.

Read More ...

Fishing

P9080040
Originally uploaded by Cyron.

I think the best thing about fishing is that no matter what I catch, I can alsways relax while doing it. I catch some very very small fish which are released for another day.

In NSW there is a fishing licence fee which costs about $10 for a one month pass and about $25 for a year. It is supposed to be used for restocking fish in popular areas. Someone needs to tell the fish to stay there.

I wish it were like this every afternoon

I wish it were like this every afternoon
Originally uploaded by thepretenda.

You've gotta love natures showcase when these colours are in teh sky.

Narrabeen Lagoon

narrabeenlagoon51
Originally uploaded by Peter Konnecke.

At the risk of sounding self-congratulatory, I really believe this is the best photograph I've ever taken.

I was shocked how well this came out when I ran it through the stitching process.

Sony 1GB and 2GB Memory Stick PRO Duo

Sony has today announced Memory Stick PRO Duo (High Speed) in 1GB and 2GB capacities. They are one third the size and half the weight of full-size Memory Stick media, and all MS Duo media ship with an adapter that is compatible with devices that have Memory Stick slots. The 2GB Memory Stick Pro Duo media is designed to support transfer speeds of up to 80 Mbps which varies with supporting hardware.


Read More ...

Threatening Skies

stormsolympicpark
Originally uploaded by Peter Konnecke.

After a weekend of pretty full on thunderstorms, I noticed this build up on the way from North Ryde to Homebush today. This picture looks south-west from the parking lot in Bicentennial Park. For the record .... it never amounted to anything until it got out to sea.

Google Maps bookmarklet to show Latitude and Longitude

The Google Maps UI does not show you your current location, though such information is useful for any number of reasons. It does however provide a "link to this page" link, which does show you the current location in the status bar when you mouse over it.

Read More ...

A gbrowser countdown?

Is there really a gbrowser on the way ? Who know ... check this out.

Discrete Life: A gbrowser countdown?

The Google PageRank Algorithm explained

PR(A) is the PageRank of some webpage A

d is a damping factor that may vary between 0 and 1, normally set at .85.

PR(T1) is the PageRank of some webpage T1 that links to webpage A

C(T1) is the number of outbound links on webpage T1

Tn is each successive webpage that links to webpage A.

The Google PageRank Algorithm

PR(A) = (1-d) + d (PR(T1)/C(T1) +... PR(Tn)/C(Tn))

Man struck by lightning on Bondi Beach

A man was struck by lightning on Bondi Beach as fierce electrical storms caused chaos across Sydney yesterday.

Read More ...

The revolution will be mapped

I read this interesting article in the Buzz Report newsletter today.

These sorts of applications are exactly what Ive been talking about in recent times. By mapping Flickr photos by postcode / locality to a map we can build richer applications and navigate by directions and pictures. I think a9.com has the very idea.

Future generations could even navigate ancient maps (those from the 20th C.) by picture. There are so many opportunities.

Read More...

Flying Foxes on Parade

Bats over the Royal Botanical Gardens
Originally uploaded by Laura B.

Each night these flying foxes (bats) leave the Botanic Gardens adjacent to Sydney Harbour and fly about 5 kilometres across the city to Centennial Park.

They feast there all night and return before dawn and sleep all day.

All this in a metropolis of 4 million people.

Delays to new home sites causes stink

Still more growing pains - Sydney's expansion causes infastructure bottle neck.

Up to 8000 new home sites in north-west Sydney have been delayed because Sydney Water has failed to provide essential water and sewerage construction on time, the Opposition claimed yesterday.

Read More ...

Growing Pains - expanded cargo terminal too big.

In a further sign of a successful and almost overheated economy, the proposed expansion of freight facilities in Botany Bay, looks certain to be reduced in size, because the road infastructure can't handle the extra 8 million movements.

Read More ...

Sydney Harbour Cruising

paul on ferry
Originally uploaded by sydneyphoto.

When I was a young bloke, every holidays we used to take the trip across from Manly to the city.

On those trips I used to look out at the sea, the cliffs along the foreshores of Sydney Harbour and dream. Just as this kid seems to be doing.

Back then the ferries were much more elegant. From memory we had the North Head, Barracoola, Curl Curl, Collaroy, and South Steyne (the largst of them all).

When North Head was scrapped the wheelhouse was placed in a forecourt at Warringah Mall Shopping Centre for children to play on. On shopping days, as we grew older and more bored with the shops, we were let loose in the playground that became one of the most vivid of my childhood memories.

Memories of those days live on with the South Steyne being restored and used as a resturant function centre and tourist attraction in Darling Harbour, where it is permanently moored as a reminder of the glory days of Sydney ferries.

Digital Camera Improvements

flower
Originally uploaded by norwegianmale.

I'm convinced Digital is now better (especially for convenience sake).

This shot is simply amazing. The colour and depth of field is outstanding.

Night Time

Sydney Darling Harbour
Originally uploaded by kongbong.

City neons reflect in the calm waters of Darling Harbour on a still night in Sydney.

Skyline and St Marys

Skyline and St Marys
Originally uploaded by tednmiki.

This is a great shot from dontown Sydney. It's overlooking Cokk & Phillip Park towards St Mary's Cathedral, and the MLC tower.

Being a nightshot, the dark central spine of Sydney Tower is obscured against the background.

Australia Day Fireworks

Fireworks
Originally uploaded by tednmiki.

I couldn't attend this year, but tednmiki's picture sure captures the moment. A grea shot and very blogworthy.

Beacon Hill becomes first suburb in new index

The Sydney suburb of Beacon Hill has become the first suburb in a new website designed to make accessing community resources easier.

The site www.beaconhill.info has been integrated into the new index www.suburbansydney.com and according the to the site weblog rich content should start to be published there within the next few weeks.

Both beaconhill.info and suburbansydney.com are new web resources designed to assist he public in accessing community information and resources, and will help foster and develop online community with the suburbs of Sydney.

New Sites

My new sites www.suburbansydney.com and www.beaconhillnsw.info have been registered and are currently in development. To read about them please visit the development weblog at www.suburbansydney.com/blog .

Weekends

001 13-02-05 15-35-04
Originally uploaded by Peter Konnecke.

Don't you just love weekends. One day I'd like to own one of these houses. Now this would be a great spot to drop a line, read a book, or relax.
Dreaming on.... the price ? ... oh just a few hundred grand !

Manhattan Panorama

Manhattan Panorama
Originally uploaded by jdw.

Spectacular panoramic of Manhattan in New York City.

Evans Lookout

Evans Lookout Very Wide Panorama
Originally uploaded by jdw.

This is a fantastic panorama shot from Evans Lookout in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney. If this was stitched together then even more amazing how transparent the joins are.

Sydney Harbour Panorama

Sydney Harbour Panorama
Originally uploaded by jdw.

This is the best Sydney skyline photo I've seen. Perfect. I just wish I could take shots this good. Just once would be good enough for me.

Sydney Reflections

the most beautiful city in the world
Originally uploaded by Laura B.

Laura B posted this photo in the Sydney Australia group on Flickr. It's still one of the best reflection shot's I've seen of Sydney.

Hume Weir

00000527 20020417
Originally uploaded by Peter Konnecke.

In contrast to the Murray River, just 15 miles downstream, the Hume Dam was very dry.

Murray River

00000513 20020417
Originally uploaded by Peter Konnecke.

The Murray at Albury on this trip was flowing fairly well. Looks health at this point.

Mt Kosciuszko

00000528 20020417
Originally uploaded by Peter Konnecke.

We took this photo back in 2002 looking across Scammels Ridge towards the Snowy Range and Mt Kosciuszko (in cloud).

Watagan Forest

00000449
Originally uploaded by Peter Konnecke.

I was browsing througth some old digital photos tonight and had forgotten just how many good shots I've taken in our travels over the years.

This shot was taken back 3 years ago (24/2/02).

HP CEO Carly Fiorina "Steps Down"

I can see why this is for the better good of the company but I think she's led it quite well over the past few years.

Having been an HP employee at one stage, then a DEC employee, I have good reasons not to like HP (takeovers by Compaq etc) but you can't help admiring this company for thier history of innovation and philosophies.

Read More ...

RSVP an eBusiness mystery

RSVP the online dating site claims to have 500,000 members and so far have chalked up 860 weddings.

Even allowing for many weddings probably unreported and based on rough math ... thats a success rate of less than 1%. Considering the ultimate aim of dating sites is to get people together, I think the 1% success rate is in need of a boost. It's hard to envy a conversion rate that droopy.

Sadly for them I don't think theres a miracle nasal spray to cure it, but their profits must look good with 500,000 members.

(I jest RSVP ... I jest)

Convert excel xml xls xml csv XML Converter

More discoveries on this idea. Following on from my earlier post here is an CSV to XML conversion solution.

Read More ...

Adwords API released

Google has released an AdWords API which will help developers create software applications to manage Adwords campaigns and keywords. This could be especially useful if cost per keyword is matched against product margins.

Read More...

Converting Excel data to XML

I came across this very useful article today. It's a great way to publish database data from Access or Excel and then to XML so you can include it on feed services like Feedburner.

It could also be useful in technical blogs. For instance if you have some daily report data (weather data comes to mind), using the above process you could set this up as a feed but also post a blog entry and include the feed. The benefit is, if that blog also has a feed you can then push it out to the wider public as well as just a closed group.

It's all a bit of a daydream. I'm looking at some practical applications of this over the next few weeks.

Converting Excel data to XML

Free Colour Printing

Fuji Xerox Australia is offering 100 days of free colour printing.

More Info

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-L1 Review

Sony has announced the ultra-compact DSC-L1, a four megapixel digital camera featuring a new three times optical zoom lens which is considerably more compact than any Sony lens before it but provides a 32 mm wide (ish) angle.

Read More...

A rather good blog

This is dave's blog. An excellent effort.

ansend

After the Storm

'After the Storm'
Originally uploaded by ansend.

Another very big thunderstorm in Sydney this afternoon. This photo captured from Narara this evening shows the CB's in the distance.