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Linda won a competition with Woolworths and 96fm with her baked potato people recipe. Went to Sydney for a photo shoot and now sits on the Fresh Food Mums Website.

While the grandparents were here late last year we visited the good old Margaret River Chocolate Factory. We managed to get involved with the new corporate video they were shooting that day. See if you can spot us in the video – (there are 4 clips in all):

[See post to watch Flash video]

link to above video on their site

- our fee for appearing was coffees, hot chocolate, milk shakes and some fantastic rocky road. If we hadn’t just eaten lunch, it would have been a higher fee.

Thanks to Martin , or Choco as he’s called by the Squadra Barista cycling group, (part owner said chocolate company) for a DVD  copy of this video.

Here’s a link to the photos our son William took when we went back there between Christmas and New Year.

PS (8/4/10): We went to the Swan River branch of the Margaret River Chocolate Company over the Easter weekend and just inside the main door there’s a big screen playing this video on a continuous loop. The kids enjoyed seeing themselves and eating the chocolate. They do a fantastic Chocolate fondue – not for the faint hearted!

Further to my previous post on flavors.me, which is a brilliantly simple yet effective concept to gather up your many profiles and persona, and present yourself on the web (read more detail in previous post if you don’t know about it) – They’ve just updated the service with some key improvements that us users had asked for:

• They’ve acquired the domain flavours.me which now mirrors everything at flavors.me – excellent for us British English speaking users
• It no longer runs on Flash – so now iPhone and iPad browsers can view sites
• They’ve improved their customer support over on Get Satisfaction

They’ve had a few teething problems updating feeds quickly and the like, mainly caused by the massive number of users signing up to use the service – I don’t think they expected their success to be achieved so quickly.

There’s a few minor things that can be improved – such as viewing a site on an iPhone – the background picture doesn’t stay put so white text on a dark background becomes invisible if you scroll down the feed. Though now they’ve solved two issues/ideas I had (flavours & iPhone) I get the feeling they are listening and trying their best to provide a great service both to the paid accounts and free ones.

Thanks go to the guys and girls at flavors.me (flavours.me). Keep up the excellent work.

Here’s my my personal flavours.me page and ones I very quickly created for BBC’s Digital Planet and The Now Show to consolidate their feeds and links for fans.

The world’s first road legal flying car!

I’ve been watching Parajet’s Skycar development since January ’09 when I heard about what the flying car they had developed and their planned expedition to fly from London to Tombouctou, on Chris Evans’ BBC Radio 2 Show Podcast. Back then they were testing it out and preparing for the expedition.

It was mentioned on the show, a few key things that immediately caught my undivided attention:

• To fly it you only needed a Paragliding licence
• The car would be fully roadworthy to drive around town
• It takes about 3 minutes to self launch the Parafoil wing
• Runs on standard fuel (prototype ran on biofuel)
• And the key thing – they were planning to make these cars and sell them at a low price of ?50,000 (British pounds)

?50,000 for a car you can drive around and fly and without a full private pilot’s licence (PPL)? Wow!

I followed the expedition on their website as they travelled the 9000km in the car which was fantastic.

All fell silent for a while – I guess as they were in development of the production version. Well 18 months later, I see they have a new website and are taking deposits for the first 50 SkyCars right now, at yep – ?50,000. A ?10,000 deposit will secure you one the of the first to roll off the production line (or workshop) planned for delivery late 2010. If I wasn’t renovating my house right now, and I had a bit more money to spare, I’d be signing up for sure! Mind you, for double that price you can go into space with Virgin Galactic… but that’s only for a few minutes – this will give you years of fun.

This is an amazing piece of engineering, in some ways simple but very effective idea, and with an affordable price (for some).

Just fantastic.

There’s no need for me to give you more detail here as I’d be just be copying what you can see on their website, but I will point you at the Wikipedia page which also references some of the history and other good news links from last year’s expedition. The pictures above are taken direct from their website – I hope they don’t mind.

I’ve been using UK2.net to register my domains and host my websites for 10 years now. I keep looking round for better deals when it comes to new domains or renewal time but I rarely find one that’s as good as these guys. I keep getting vouchers for free domains and various other deals that are well worth it.

With my web hosting space can be shared with all my other domains and also with those hosted elsewhere with simple set-up. With the business package you control your interface using the very versatile cPanel.

Their customer support is superb, they resolve technical issues very quick (and sometimes my technical issues aren’t simple!) with a straight forward online ticket submission system.

Don’t let the name fool you either – I used to live in the UK, but now I’m on the other side of the world and working with UK2.net is easier than it’s ever been with their improved support, services and range of domains offers. For example this domain .be – technically it’s Belgian, but I just liked the extension for obvious reasons. I’ve been many places in the world, but unfortunately not Belgium yet!.

So with one great value package I host several sites of my own and three charitable organisations’ sites.

Anyway, check them out yourself to see..

(Article last updated 30th August ’10)

I’ve tried and tested 4 different apps for online file storage / syncing across computers and accessible by iPhone:

• Live Mesh
• Dropbox
• SugarSync
• Zumodrive

Each one can be used to sync files between Mac / PC and the Cloud – i.e. are stored on a remote server accessible via a web browser. All work very well, are secure and sync no problem, and all except Mesh have a dedicated free iPhone App. You can share files or folders with anyone else people (privately or publicly) and most main features are similar.

Please note I’m not comparing any priced plans here, criteria is free storage and free iPhone app, so if 2Gb is not enough for you (5Gb with Mesh) then you’ll need to review current priced plans by these guys to see what’s suitable, or count on getting several referrals.

And the Winner is (still)…. Zumodrive

Having tried them all for a while now – all syncing similar folders across my home Mac and work PC, the clear winner as of today’s app features is ZumoDrive – it has a couple of key features that set it apart from the others.

Key features for me:

• Caching files on iPhone for offline viewing
• Syncing any folder
• Don’t have to sync same files on different computers
• Works on Mac and Windows
• Back-up / file revision management (keeps old copies)

Caching files on the iPhone – that is saving them directly on your phone for offline viewing; rather than having to download them every time you want to look at it and using up your data plan, or costing a fortune if international roaming. Saving them on the iPhone also makes accessing the files much faster.

Review

Live Mesh Beta (from Microsoft) looses as it has no useful iPhone app yet – the website has been saying “coming soon” for mobile for ever – though you can access via your mobile browser and it does give you 5Gb free storage. Any folder anywhere can be specified as a Mesh synced folder and they don’t have to match on each computer.

Dropbox is one of the older apps and therefore popular because it’s been around longer. Disadvantage is you create a single Dropbox directory to sync, so can’t simply sync random directories on your computers. You can do some very fiddly things (for most people) to make it sync other folders – but it’s not easy. iPhone file caching is done by setting files as favourites, so you have to pick which files you want to keep on your iPhone to view offline. 2Gb free + 250Mb for each referral (now up to 8Gb).

SugarSync has a couple of good features and the best “looking” iPhone app – well the front page at least. You can sync any folders on different computers and also has the “Magic Briefcase” – a dedicated folder like Dropbox. 2Gb Free + 500Mb more for referrals. Doesn’t store files on your iPhone as far as I can tell after the app is closed, so will always download each time you access them – slow and uses up your data.

Zumodrive appears as an extra drive on your Mac or PC, which is a useful representation. You can add files to this drive, or you can set “Linked folders” anywhere on your computer – these are linked/synced and also appear in the Zumodrive under “linked folders” directory, then a subdirectory for each machine. The settings in the iPhone app – the killer app feature for me - you set the amount of iPhone space to use for files/photos/music, so whenever you download a file it immediately stored into the iPhone memory until you reach this cache limit. I use 500Mb for Files for example… It will download the file again if it has been changed elsewhere, and the file’s icon indicates whether it is stored on your iPhone already or if clicking on it will download it. You start with 1Gb – but a few simple steps in the Dojo soon gets you up to 2Gb. Update (Aug ’10): Zumodrive also give an extra 256Mb for each referral for up to 5Gb extra.
Another great feature of Zumodrive is its back up or Revision Management – you can set it to keep ALL past revisions of files as they change. This enables you to revert to an old version of a file at any time. It is limited to “All revisions” or none, and old revision copies go against your storage limit, which if you have a big file you change regularly will soon add up. I’d like to be able to set it to keep X number of revision of files, rather than all or nothing, but it’s a great extra feature to have.
Also has virtual folders on the iPhone where it pulls all your music or all your photos from any synced folder, presenting them like a play-list, or photo albums. So you can play your music or slideshow your photo folders right in the app.

Though Zumodrive has won today, so please note the date of this entry and its updates. I keep all these apps running in parallel for and monitor updates and improvements to the iPhone apps etc, as these can change quite quickly.

I have been a fan of Cooliris since it’s first release as PicLens in 2007, and it just keeps getting better. It’s a fantastic must have plug in for your browser, that is designed to present your photos and other media as an interactive 3D wall, easy, intuitive, fun and a delight to navigate around. Initially it was for photos and linked with Facebook, Flickr and Picasa sites to view albums there. Now it includes movies and other media and is also available for your iPhone (stating its “The best way to enjoy media on iPhone” – and I agree) or Nexus One. Certainly the best way to view a facebook photo album, as facebook’s interface is not too hot (see and flick through all photos in one go from an album, rather than just 20 at a time). Definitely THE best ways to search through Google Images – install the plug in, do a Google images search and activate the plugin. Brilliant.

You can of course embed a Cooliris wall in your website – and today I read on Techcrunch they’ve updated/improved Cooliris Express, so it’s even easier to do so. The wall below took all of 2 minutes to create and it looks fantastic and works beautifully. Create your wall and install on your site – lots of options here to link straight to your pages on facebook, wordpress, blogger etc etc. Or simply copy and paste the code and embed anywhere, change width and height of the object to suit your page. Click on the full screen button in the wall below below and have a play. You can quickly link / pull-in your photo albums from many sources including Facebook, Picassa, Flickr, YouTube, or any media RSS feed. Worth noting I’m running the wordpress plugin Exec-PHP which enables me to simply embed the flash player code direct into a WordPress post or page as follows:

Another very simple to use, simply fantastic tool. Thanks again Cooliris – keep up the good work.

Since my original list of bits and bobs, these have been a part of my recent internet safari:

• h2g2
• aardvark
• IMDb
• ReQall
• Twitterfeed
• Dlvr.it
• Duck Duck Go
• Movie Clips
• iPhone icon Generator
• Blubrry
• Many WordPress Plug-ins

Always happy to answer any questions on these topics or those on my initial list. Just ask!

As important as what have I been playing with lately (posted over a month ago) is, since then, what have I stopped playing with. I like to try out all the new things on the web, some described as “Could this be the next big thing?”, or this is a good idea, or another cool little App. Well it’s good to look back over a couple of months and see what I simply gave up and couldn’t be bothered with using any more. So many Apps and sites come and go in popularity. When I try something out I usually attempt to try them out properly and give them a fair go to see if they become useful in my life somehow – or replace something I’m happily using already.

Here’s a brief description of few I’ve given up on recently from my previous list – though some temporarily and I will keep an eye on them should improvements/major changes be forthcoming:

Aviary

Simply prefer the excellent pixlr for online picture editing – very powerful and easy to use. And now there’s the HTML5 – non-Flash Darkroom from Mugtug that is definitely worth checking out.

Foursquare

Don’t see the point yet. It was hard enough getting friends and family on Facebook to share photos with, not sure any of my friends would be interested in this, and so what’s the point for me? The fact that you can check-in to places to get your points without actually being there, well, it’s just a game really. And what are all those badges for? I use Beanhunter for coffee and Urbanspoon for café’s.

Google Buzz

My Twitter feed, feeds to my buzz – slowly. That’s it. I don’t need another social network beyond Twitter and Facebook. Not yet…

iWeb

Apple’s own web design platform Not flexible enough. Minor changes to site structure would mean having to upload entire site again to sync (using up large quota). Can be worked around unless I published locally and used a third-party ftp/sync program that uses Checksum instead of file date value, but not immediately straight forward or quick. Sites are slow to load, and don’t work well on mobile devices.

Now using WordPress for most of my sites, especially those I’m trying to get others involved with, so they can add posts and edit online. And having the flexibility to edit anywhere with a web connection, and a great iPhone app means I’m not tied to only updating sites from my home computer. Also the WPTouch plug in makes the site quick, look fantastic and easily accessible on mobile devices.

Joomla

Will probably look into his more in the future. For now WordPress does the job, is easy to use, and great mobile integration. Also an easy platform to get other non-techy people involved with adding and editing content.  Joomla looks great and very flexible and expandable, but it would be a challenge to get others involved in administering the site with it.

Windows Live Sync

Sync files across all your Computers (Mac/PC). Windows Live Sync is being taken over by services like Mesh.com, Zumodrive, Dropbox and Sugarsync- all of which I have running successfully on Mac, PC and iPhone. Live Sync’s drawback is you have to have both computers switched on to sync, whereas the others sync and save online. The others also have good iPhone Apps, with the exception of Mesh.com. My current favourite is Zumodrive for its better flexibility on the Mac and PC, and file caching on the iPhone app.

Nsyght

Website tool to aggregate your social networks. Might be OK for some, but this didn’t rock my boat (well not yet) and I use several other services/clients for the my social networking. Tweetdeck is a good example, which links Twitter, Facebook and Linked-in to name the key ones.

Orb

Stream your media anywhere. Still not quite sure how I can use this one, and you need to keep your computer on. With the other file sharing/streaming services provided by Zumodrive/Dropbox/Sugarsync I listed above, I haven’t the need for this yet. But will keep my eye open to see if it develops into something I might find useful.

Orbo

Just something I’m watching with interest and amusement. Will Stoern ever prove over-unity and that they can produce “Free electricity” for all by breaking the laws of thermodynamics? Most people think it’s a joke or worse, a scam. I really don’t know what to think, mainly because I’m simply amazed Stoern can keep up this story going for so long and so publicly. Will they get laughed out of left field, or will they save the world with their all-too-simple way of generating electricity out of thin air and magnets?

These are the things from my previous list that are no more, for the time being…

Stephen Fry got his first iPad today  – one of the lucky chosen few. That was a cool and exciting bunch of tweets, twitpics and little video story to follow! I look forward to trying one out and owning one myself one day. Much more fun than reading any proper techy blogs, though Boing Boing did a good first look review.

movieclips.com is a great and fun site if you  are a keen film buff like me. Much better than trying to search out your favourite (and likely pirated) clips on YouTube.

Here’s one of my all time favourites. Sergio Leone was a genius.