Tech: Blog

I know it's kind of tacky, but this flyer attracted my attention at <a href="https://www.ntenonline.org/eweb/DynamicPage.aspx?webcode=NTCSessionsCurrent" target="_blank">NTC12</a> and I thought it was kind of clever... If a waist of dimes that I'm sure the homeless folks of San Francisco would have appreciated...

As is usual from my blog posts, this may or may not grow as I remember things&hellip;<ul><li>The visual discrepancy between rich and poor in San Francisco is extremely stark<ul><li>Add to that, the gap between white/Asian and black/Latino is even more noticeable.</li></ul></li><li>A lot of the Not-For-Profit sector seems obsessed with money and how to make it.</li><li>The tipping culture is weird&hellip; In that people don&#39;t tip because they want to, but because they feel obliged to. Which makes tipping and the divvying up of bills an awkward and bizarrely scientific process to watch.</li><li>Americans table manners, especially the way they treat servers, are peculiar&hellip; Perhaps related to above.</li><li>Sales people very open and friendly, I assume because they want to sell you something. On the other hand, Customer service, especially civil service, quite unforgiving and unhelpful.</li><li>A lot of things in Australia aren&#39;t as expensive as people think. Especially food and fuel.</li><li>Conferences in Australia are a lot more multi-cultural, with more people from overseas and we&#39;re more interested in those from overseas.</li></ul>

It's simple, updates regularly, synchronises between devices almost seamlessly and for the most part it's free! <a href="https://www.evernote.com" target="_blank">www.evernote.com</a>

With Green Renters we find the iCal feed from CiviEvent (part of CiviCRM) invaluable to keep track of events and workshops we have coming up, generally we use the feed pulled into our personal iCal and Google calendars for internal organising, currently the feeds aren't available to anyone outside of staff.

I love living on the cutting edge, many times to my detriment, but it never ceases to dissuade me. So after a brief delay due to being away from home and nowhere near a backup drive (which, of course, is essential before a major system upgrade!) it was time to get my hands dirty.

At the time of writing this website isn't quite finished and maybe you can't quite tell that I love <a href="https://www.civicrm.org" target="_blank">civicrm</a>. I won't go into too much detail of why and what it is now, best you do a bit of searching and find that out for yourself.

I generally find that in the process of migrating a website to a new system or framework, importing and moving data is the most fraught, frustrating and troublesome part of the process. If you're moving content from a vanilla installation to another vanilla installation you might be in luck, but really, what are the chances of that?

I'm old enough to remember the great laments aired when vinyl started to die it's still ensuing slow death, how would musicians and their artists still be able to shrink their exquisite works of art down from a whopping 12" to XX CD inlays. Well, unsurprisingly they coped, they managed, they learnt new tricks and still created a mixed bag of wondrous masterpieces and piles of crap. There have been some classic Album covers that I feel wouldn't have even worked on vinyl. Radioheads' 'OK Computer' is one example, pop out the CD holder and you find a wealth of extra art lurking beneath the surface. Not forgetting cardboard covers, flexipacks and a wealth of DIY efforts that were far simplified by the smaller size of a CD. CD bodies themselves also offer an extra surface for artwork that previously never existed, not to mention those more adventurous musicians who add bonus material through the extended CD format.

A license is not required to ride a bike on Melbourne's (and most other cities in the world as far as I know) streets and sometimes knowing quite what you are allowed and not allowed to do or indeed what others should be doing around you is difficult to ascertain.

Rules of the road<br>Chris Chinchilla<br><br>A license is not required to ride a bike on Melbourne's (and most other cities in the world as far as I know) streets and sometimes knowing quite what you are allowed and not allowed to do or indeed what others should be doing around you is difficult to ascertain.<br>The fact is that when you are on a bike you should be obeying the rules of the road, but a lot of rules and regulations are squarely aimed at car drivers and if you haven't taken a license test, how are you supposed to know what they are anyway?<br><br>Here are a few rules and regulations that directly affect cyclists, so you can be aware of your rights and responsibilities.<br><br><b>Keep to the left</b><br>You should keep to the left of the lane, if the road is too narrow or clogged with traffic then you are perfectly within your rights to take the lane completely, a generally touted figure is to keep a metre from the curbside. Cyclists are also allowed to overtake on the left of a vehicle, but not if the vehicle is indicating or turning left. <br><br><b>Riding together</b><br>Often a subject of confusion, you are allowed to ride two abreast and a third cyclist is even allowed to overtake, so car drivers put away those horns.<br><br><b>Bike lanes and paths</b><br>Another common grey area, this one even surprised me. If there is a bike path or lane present, you are obliged to use it if practical. Cars are also obliged to give way to cyclists in lanes and paths.<br><br><b>Hook turns</b><br>Whilst not completely required for cyclists, at major intersections where trams are present it will assist your safety and visibility if you take a hook turn instead of a 'normal' one.<br><br><b>Traffic signs</b><br>Cyclists are required to obey traffic lights, stop signs and give way signs, failing to do so is an infringement and could result in a fine.<br><br><b>Opening Doors?</b><br>Speaking from experience, being hit by a car door is unpleasant, opening a car door into traffic is also illegal. The law states 'A person must not cause a hazard to any person or vehicle by opening the door of a vehicle?' a fact that will surprise many cyclists and car drivers alike. However, it does mean that if you are hit, you are well within your rights to take down details, claim any damages and if necessary, report the incident to the Police.<br><br><b>Compulsory accessories</b><br>A warning device such as a bell or horn.<br>An approved helmet.<br>At night a white front light and red back light.<br><br><b>Traffic Fines</b><br>Disobeying traffic lights : $220<br>No Helmet : $55<br>No Lights : $55<br>Riding on a footpath or other non-approved path : $55<br><br>In fact, cyclists are subject to the same fines as car drivers, so if you're very unlucky or not careful you could find yourself hit with a very unusual fine.<br><br><br>So bearing all of this in mind, why do so many cyclists seem to break these rules, putting themselves into danger, trouble and giving so many of us law abiding cyclists a bad name? I thought I'd do a little probing and try to understand why so many carry a chip on their shoulders about sharing the road and don't try to ride harmoniously with every other user of our public roads and footpaths.<br><br>A common reason for jumping red lights given by many cyclists is momentum. Unlike a car, it's is human endeavour and effort that propels your vehicle, stopping at red lights reverses all of the momentum you've just built up, starting up again can be a lot of effort. This is a fair point, but in my personal opinion, not completely valid and generally bought up by those who like to travel particularly fast or who have fixed wheel (i.e. one gear) bikes, utilising gears properly (as with a car) makes stopping and starting a fairly simple process. Yes, traffic lights are damned annoying, but they generally exist for a good reason and not obeying them could endanger you and others, ignoring the recurring issue that you will also potentially infuriate other road users, increasing cyclist animosity. Of course there are also those lights that simply don't trigger for cyclists, in those cases then you really have no option than to jump them or cross on the pedestrian crossing.<br><br>It does sadly seem that many cyclists suffer something of a superiority complex, taking the fact that they're 'doing their bit for the planet' as a carte blanche do what they like on the roads. Then there's the rebellious attitude that accompanies a lot of cyclists, the attitude that initially drives you to rebuke the four-wheeled majority and take to two wheels carries on into just doing what you damn like. Whatever your opinion or attitude, there are rules in place for a reason, if you don't agree with that reason or feel you are inappropriately represented or covered by regulations and rules then flaunting them isn't necessarily the best approach. One person breaking a rule because they feel justified or safer (which may have unforseen repercussions) in doing so achieves nothing, taking your complaints through official channels and making more intelligent larger scale protests through lobby groups (some listed below) or attending related public events can achieve better results.<br><br><br><br>www.bv.com.au<br>www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/Home/BicyclesPedestrians<br>www.austroads.com.au/abc<br><br>www.melbournecyclist.com/forum/topics/rule-breaking-cyclists<br>

As a cyclist you encounter so much stress, grief and abuse you at least hope that when you enter a bike shop you will be greeted by a friendly and supportive face. However even this isn't always the case as some cycle shop staff can be rude, patronising and unfriendly, especially to new and keen cyclists. So what a refreshing change it was when I set foot into Human Powered Cycles in Brunswick, not only friendly and approachable, but also passionate and with a big heart, lets have a few words with them.<br><br><b>Top Maintenance Tips</b><br>Keep your bike regularly maintained, oil the chain and wheels, keep all moving parts clean and basically just keep an eye on everything.<br>Make sure your light's batteries are not running out, especially on your back light as you may not always notice it's strength. On a related issue, don't buy two back lights to save money, this will confuse other traffic and could endanger you.<br>When adjusting gears don't rely on playing with the High and Low adjusters on the gear cluster, try adjusting the gear wire instead.<br><br>If you want to learn more about cycle maintenance then conveniently Human Powered offer some very competitively priced classes and rates for their own work, even providing courtesy bikes whilst yours is being fixed.<br><br><b>Top Riding Tips</b><br>Get a bike that fits you properly!<br>Don't hug the kerb and keep weaving in and out between packed cars, stay out in the road and stick to the same spot.<br>Don't ride timidly, assert yourself and be confident.<br>Obey the rules of the road, if you don't know them, learn them.<br><br>Human Powered's business has been sufficiently successful over the past seven years that they have been able to fund a program for recent Immigrants, providing bikes and cycling lessons, a quite unique scheme that you can help with by donating any old bikes you no longer require.<br><br>I asked the guys what they thought of some of the current issues that affect cyclists in Melbourne.<br><br><b>Why do you think that so many motorists in Melbourne are so 'bad' and have so little respect for Cyclists? </b><br>I feel that unlike many European cities motorists in Australia have priority, if they hit a non-motor vehicle then the victim is in the wrong. Perhaps this leads the attitude of motorists here, they feel they are always in the right. Generally most motorists get annoyed with pedestrians and cyclists because they slow them down. At the same time I dislike certain cyclists who abuse the rules of the road, annoying other users doesn't help, it will simply lead to more motorists disliking cyclists and treating us all with disdain and mistrust.<br><br><b>Do you think that if Cyclists paid a road tax we would be treated with more respect and get better facilities? </b><br>This is actually somewhat of a myth, the tax that motorists pay mainly goes into accident prevention / cure and then general administration costs of the tax. Cyclists have very little impact on council property and we pay for this with rates anyway. In fact, encouraging cyclists is in the interests of councils it leads to less wear and tear and increased health benefits.<br><br><b>What would help the future of cycling? </b><br>More education for all road users and more promotion of cycling as a viable and positive method of transport, both of these would hopefully lead to a change in attitudes.<br><br>Human Powered is a great self sufficient operation like so many in the inner suburbs, right down to their wonderfully informative website, their workshop computers running Linux and Bees in the backyard on the banks of the Merri. They are soon moving to commercial prosperity, hopefully it wont change the nature of the business.<br><br>38 Harrison St<br>Brunswick East<br>90296504<br><br>Soon moving to :<br>563 High Street<br>Thornbury<br><br>On the 1st December, drop by for opening specials!<br><br><a href=https://www.humanpowered.com.au target=î_blankî> www.humanpowered.com.au </a><br><br>The guys at Human Powered Cycles are so nice they've also offered anyone who mentioned Aduki a 10% discount.<

Applecore<br>Broken Door<br>Commercial crap<br>Cat flap<br>High crime<br>Sign of the times<br>Night clubs<br>Seedy pubs<br>Rubbish bin<br>Collecting tin<br>Bus stop<br>Bent cop<br>Run down school<br>Drunken fool<br>Paedophile<br>Give us a smile<br>Traffic jam<br>Bang bang<br>Road work<br>Office jerk<br>Broken homes<br>Millennium dome<br>Drug dealer<br>Office cleaner<br>Broken bottle<br>Full throttle<br>Boarded up shops<br>Office blocks<br>Social life<br>Beaten up wife<br>Dodgy bloke<br>Being broke<br>Sick on the ground<br>Too much sound<br>Political shit<br>Hypocrite<br><br>City life, don't you just love it<br>

Cycling is experiencing a worldwide renaissance and Melbourne is no exception with sales of bikes out stripping cars by a scale of six. Wether it be environmental, health or practical reasons, cyclists are rapidly becoming a consumer and user group large enough to start making some demands. So here's a short wish list to make any keen Melbourne cyclists life a little better, and frankly, in these days of environmental crisis, a little more valued in the part we play in doing the world a favour.

One bright sunny day I stepped out on to Sydney rd in Brunswick to be greeted by a surprising and pleasurable sight, no cars! It was Moreland Council's first Cyclovia, with one of Melbourne's busiest, cramped and most hectic roads open only to bikes, pedestrians and public transport for several hours.

It's hard to effectively review a guide to cycle paths in South East Queensland when you're stuck in Melbourne with no chance of attempting them anytime soon. The guide produced by Bicycling Australia is exceptionally well produced and thought out with ring bound easy to clean laminated pages for those journeys where your hands spend more time fiddling with oily parts than on the handlebars. There are 47 rides spread across Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast to keep you busy for many months to come, all with detailed guides to road surfaces, terrain types, distances and a difficulty rating.

It can't have escaped many people in the world's attention that the North of England has been producing a tremendous amount of popular and fashionable music over the past two years. Led by the success of bands like <em>Kaiser Chiefs</em> and Maximo <em>Park</em>, a lot of sound-a-likes spawned, creating a glut of poor imitators and glory chasers and often those who didn't sound anything like any of the glory stories were left by the wayside. The <em>Dance to The Radio</em> label led by <strong>Forward Russia</strong> and <strong>The Pigeon Detectives</strong> has been a mainstay of the 'Northern music scene', showcasing some of the smaller acts from the region and <em>Out of the Woods and Trees</em> is the labels fourth compilation, weighing in at 20 tracks. Some do sound a lot like what's come before, and sadly, what you almost expect from Northern England (Angular guitars and disco beats), but there are a few gems lurking on the compilation including the likes of <em>The Taste, You Slut! </em>and<em> Grammatics</em>. Possibly the 'scene's' time is now over, but judging by this compilation there's still the usual amount of great bands plying their trade, and undoubtedly they couldn't care less if anyone's paying any attention.

Once again, I've let personal posts lapse to the point where I've forgotten when I last posted one and what I said...

According to a forthcoming research report to be issued by overseas student recruiter IDP Education, International Student demand in Australia will double in the next two decades with Universities struggling to meet the demand. Currently Overseas students comprise approximately 17% of the Australian student body with just over a quarter of those studying in Victoria, how much does and will this affect Victorian students?

It seemed appropriate to group these two shows together as my last experience of both bands was about two years ago as they were enjoying a rapid rise in popularity, success and hype. Two years ago both bands were still learning their craft, their showmanship and the ropes, so now after two years on the road and two albums each, how do they compare?

Take a look at my latest Indieoma.com Post.

I shall be on 3CR radio tomorrow afternoon to talk about my Antescene nights, it's the 'Activate' show and is on from 5.30 - 6pm...

I suffered a uniquely Melbourne (and several other Cities) injury yesterday, I was cycling and my bike wheel got stuck in a tram line as I turned a corner, flipping me over the handle bars and into a (fortunately) grass verge, in rather comical stylings.

Personally I think <a href="https://media.nothingtoxic.com/uploads/4d7d011778fc4d6891bcedbec9710967.swf" target="_blank">this</a> is great...<br />A few odd things seen the past few days... - Bacardi are advertising 0 sugar, isn&#39;t Rum made from Sugar Cane?<ul><li>The new Burger King Angus is certified 100% Beef, do BK feel that their products are mistrusted so much they have to get them certified? And who does that? What a job...</li><li><span style="line-height: 1.538em;">Saw a sign for a Family restaurant... That appealed to my sense of humour... &quot;How would you like your Grandmother sir? Roasted or Fried?&quot;</li></ul>

Bah, my heads all of a muddle at the moment, trying to write songs, but busy sorting all sorts out and can&#39;t quite get anything out, lots of bits and pieces of ideas...

To me Java is one of the most exciting and promising technologies of the past few years, but it's potential hasn't been reached in a lot of circles yet, especially in the consumer field. ThinkFree Office is an exceptional implementation of Java, being a multi platform MS Office compatible office suite. It runs on Windows Mac OS 9/X and varying flavours of UNIX, thus parts of the interface may seem a little un-Mac like but when you?re developing cross platform certain compromises must be taken. ThinkFree Office runs on a Java Virtual machine so is on occasions slower and more sluggish than other applications. The Microsoft Office compatibility is extremely well implemented, with the application not only reading / writing office files but even the layout and look & feel is similar, right down to dialogue boxes with similar appearances. There are of course some features missing and documents don't render exactly the same way as in Office, but for a reduction of £300 you can't really complain. For example the ThinkFree Show templates are different from PowerPoint templates, probably for legal reasons (!), meaning that some of you files will have to reedited to suit, complex tables look a little different, which may present problems for some users. On the plus side ThinkFree Writes web publishing tools are in my opinion better than MS Offices, it produces cleaner code and has the ability to insert more advanced objects such as image maps. The Excel beater, ThinkFree Calc has all that you would expect, a complex array of calculations and formulae, the ability to create a multitude of graphs (Though losing Excel v.X's support for transparency). The PowerPoint type module, ThinkFree Show is again more of what you would expect, Slide templates, animations, but no QuickTime support unfortunately.

Drawwell is a stripped down version of Workswell, so lets take a quick look at it's feature first and then focus on the extras in Workswell. Drawwell is a vector based illustration and DTP application, providing a vast array of easy to create objects from squares to shape bursts and doughnuts. All are easily modifiable through an inspector panel where you can set position, size, colours and textual content. Drawwell is Cocoa based, so you get all the features associated with OS X native applications such as font and colour picker panels. Layers are available in Drawwell, as supposedly is transparency but I couldn't seem to find any in implementation of this. Workswell is fairly similar, but adds some extra merge features and drawing objects. The merging features are extensive to say the least, mainly offering integration with iApps such as iTunes and iPhoto (May be more support to come?). Within several clicks detailed documents can be created based on photo or music libraries including all information from EXIF and ID3 data such as contact sheets and CD inlays. Along with the support for iApp libraries logical comparisons, incremental values and sorting (among other things) can also be used in merge features. Support for iApps aside, there are other potential uses for Workswells feature set such as numbered tickets and graphs, all based around clear vector graphics.

There was excitement and enthusiasm in the air of MacExpo 2001, and there was a reason. Perhaps because Apple was exhibiting at a UK show for the first time in five years, or perhaps because Mac users currently have a lot to celebrate, there was one of the largest turnouts of visitors and exhibitors in the history of the show. In a time of economic downturn (especially in the computing market), Apple is one of the very few IT companies currently running at a profit. A major upgrade to an amazing new OS has been released, developers are flocking back to the Mac in droves, machines are increasing in power but decreasing in price, and now Apple has once again starting manufacturing non-Mac products. To top all that you can't move without seeing Macs featured in adverts, TV programs, or films, so there really is a lot to celebrate.

European Apple fans have been eagerly awaiting this year's Apple Expo. As last year's event was cancelled, and most could not really warrant the cost of travelling to America, this year's Expo was the first major Apple-related date for Europeans in two years. There were of course a lot of product releases and newsworthy events at the Expo this year but attempting to document them all would be nigh on impossible, so I will now try to present my own personal highlights.

Not so long ago, many of us were satisfied handling deployment of our projects by uploading files via FTP to a web server. I was doing it myself until relatively recently and still do on occasion (don't tell anyone!). At some point in the past few years, demand for the services and features offered by web applications rose, team sizes grew and rapid iteration became the norm. The old methods for deploying became unstable, unreliable and (generally) untrusted. Read more

A few months ago I had a client requirement for PDF generation, in this case to generate certificates that could be viewed online or printed. I spent some time looking into the best Drupal options available and picked up some advice along the way on how best to accomplish these aims. After mentioning my results to several people, it seemed that PDF generation was a common requirement and now I have the same need again on a personal project, so it seemed a good case study to walk you through what I found.