Mike's Blog

 Yesterday turned out to be quite a funny day.

When I was growing up, for as long as I can remember, we had these plastic red cups. I’d never seen anyone with a set. I honestly can’t remember a time without them, so I assume we picked them up when we were in the States back in 1970.

Recently, while on a cruise, I took a closer look at the plastic cups they were using. This time I noticed a brand name. A quick search on Amazon and there it was — my red cup. So I ordered two. They arrived yesterday.At the same time, Liz and I were cleaning up and went into our roof storage area. Hidden away at the back was my old Globite black plastic school bag.

I’ve been looking for that thing for years. I’d assumed one of the kids had taken it, or that it had simply been lost along the way.

Now I’m drinking out of my red plastic cup and admiring my old school bag. It’s amazing how calming these little rediscoveries can be. I’m sure therapy could explain why.

Weekend Away

I had to deliver a car to my niece in Clunes, Victoria, so I left Sydney early on Sunday morning. Along the way, I made a diversion to the Bethel rail loop, an amazing piece of technology weaving through the countryside. From there I passed through Cotter, Monro, and Juuni, then continued all the way down to Albury.

Once I hit the freeway at Albury, I saw a bit of truck “road rage” between a couple of drivers heading south — entertaining but slightly terrifying. I turned off at Springhurst to have a look at my old family farm. The house really hadn’t changed much in 30 years — apart from a new roof, it was almost exactly as I remembered it.

After that little detour, I got back on the freeway and headed towards Melbourne. About 100 km out, Apple Maps decided to take me off at Seymour and onto some back roads that were getting narrower by the kilometre. I hardly saw another car and started to wonder where I was headed — especially when the navigation said I was about to join the Burke and Wills Track. I thought, “What the hell?!” expecting it to be a dirt road — but it turned out to be a proper two-lane highway. I stayed on it for what felt like 200 miles before finally turning west toward Clunes.

After 11½ hours on the road, I arrived — tired but happy. I’d stopped at a few little country snack shops along the way and really enjoyed the drive. It was far prettier than taking the Hume Highway all the way down.

Monday

The next morning, I had a walk around Clunes, a charming little town I hadn’t realised was used for several scenes in Mad Max. I then caught a train from near Ballarat into Melbourne, where I met up with a school friend for lunch. To my surprise, he brought along two other people we went to school with — one of whom I hadn’t seen since we left school in 1980! It was a fantastic catch-up.

That night I stayed at the Ibis Central, one of my favourite hotel chains. The place was almost fully automated — check-in via machine, and if I’d been a bit smarter, I could have used the app and just scanned a QR code to get my room key. The room itself was spotless and well laid out.

That evening I tried to connect my phone to the TV to watch the Singapore F1 Grand Prix, but after 15 minutes it kept disconnecting — so I gave up and watched it on my tablet. There’s always some drama with McLaren, and it really seems like the team wants a British driver to win the championship rather than supporting Oscar Piastri as they should!

The Trip Home

After an early breakfast and a great coffee, I walked to the station and boarded the NSW TrainLink XPT back to Sydney. The trip was mostly uneventful. I shared my carriage with two elderly passengers until Wagga Wagga, where they got off and were replaced by two schoolgirls who were travelling for a sporting event.

The only bit of excitement came just before we pulled into Junee. There was a call over the PA asking for anyone with medical expertise to come to the canteen area. A few minutes later, another announcement explained that a passenger had suffered a medical episode and that we’d be delayed while waiting for an ambulance.

The conductor, who was standing near my seat while she made the call, said to Triple Zero:

“We’re the XPT train from Melbourne to Sydney, and we’re at Junee Station.”

From the sound of her voice, the operator must have been asking for the nearest cross street — because she kept replying,

“I’m not a local. I have no idea! But we’re at the only platform at Junee Station — please send an ambulance quickly!”

About 20 minutes later, they offloaded the gentleman, who was thankfully able to walk off the train with the paramedics — a good outcome. After that, we were back on our way to Sydney.

Interestingly, there’s no Wi-Fi on the XPT, which seems odd in this day and age, but it didn’t really bother anyone.

All in all, it was a great weekend — full of long drives, old memories, good friends, and a few unexpected adventures.

Well, it’s been quite a year, so here are my thoughts.

The iPhone certainly has its place. Overall, I’ve been happy with the move, but there’s one thing that really, really annoys me: sending texts from anything other than the iPhone itself.

Unless you’re using a Mac—and yes, there is a Windows app—it’s still pretty clunky. In the Android world, there were so many options for handling SMS across devices. My favourite was MightyText. I could send and receive texts from any device I owned—PC, tablet, whatever. It didn’t matter. It just worked. Brilliantly.

That’s honestly the only thing I haven’t been able to replace since switching.

On the positive side, I really like the way Apple handles security permissions when you install apps. It feels more transparent and gives you a stronger sense of control. I also feel that the Apple ecosystem is slightly better than Google’s when it comes to selling your data—though let’s be honest, neither is innocent.

The way I usually explain it is this: Apple might be a murderer, but Google is a serial killer. They’re both bad, but Apple feels… less bad.

Because of that, I’ve slowly weaned myself off almost every Google product—except YouTube. That one just doesn’t seem to have a real substitute.

I will say as a parting idea, have you seen the Nothing phones, what a crazy concept. I might be tempted to move to them….

A Month with the iPhone – My Thoughts

After a month of using the iPhone, I’ve had time to reflect on the experience. Coming from years of using Android devices, the switch has been an adjustment, but here are my thoughts.

At the core, both Apple and Samsung achieve the same outcomes—they just take different approaches. Navigating the iPhone felt unfamiliar at first, with small differences in gestures, settings, and app management that made me feel like a beginner again. It wasn’t frustrating, just different. Some things felt intuitive, while others took me a bit longer to figure out.

One feature that really stood out was the iPhone’s approach to privacy. Every time I installed a new app, I was prompted with clear privacy options, giving me control over what data I was sharing. It’s a small but reassuring feature that I don’t recall seeing as prominently on Samsung devices.

Now that I’ve spent a month with it, I feel like my experiment is wrapping up. I’ve proven to myself that I can use the iPhone without issue—it’s just a matter of getting comfortable with the Apple way of doing things. Will I stick with it long-term? Time will tell!

I plan to post every week to share my progress with the iPhone. This week, I only wanted to throw the phone in the bin four times—an improvement from last week!

Here are the challenges I’ve faced so far:

• iTunes/iCloud Syncing: I’m struggling to understand how iTunes and iCloud work together for syncing data. I usually listen to iHeart Radio for my favorite stations, especially in the car. I also keep a music folder on my phone for when I’m out of 4G range. I imported all my songs into iTunes, but only some synced to the phone, and I can’t figure out why.
• File Management: On my Samsung, I had a folder that synced with my desktop PC. I could easily copy files like photos of my driver’s license to have them handy, even without coverage. With the iPhone, I’ve figured out how to sync a folder by adding it to iCloud, but I still need to research how to create a shortcut for easier access.
• Apple Pay vs. Google Wallet: I wasn’t a huge fan of Google Wallet, but it let me keep all my loyalty cards and credit cards in one place. Apple Pay handles credit cards well, but I can’t add loyalty cards like Flybuys or my Ikea Family card.

Now, for the positives:

• Battery Life: It’s incredible—easily lasts two days.
• Bluetooth: Works very well, no complaints.
• Apple CarPlay: It’s excellent and a joy to use.

I’m still navigating the learning curve, but each week feels a bit less frustrating. Let’s see how things go from here!

After 15 years with Android, I’ve decided to try my hand at Apple. On Christmas Eve, I purchased an iPhone 16+ 256GB in Black, aiming to get as close as possible to my Samsung S24+.

I still remember my first Android phone—a HTC. It didn’t do much, but it had a big screen, a stark contrast to my trusty Nokia at the time.

My whole family has been Apple fans from the start—iPhones, iPads, MacBooks—you name it. I’ve always resisted the pressure, often saying, “Apple doesn’t play well with others.”

First impressions of the iPhone? It’s nice. The big screen and great battery life are definite pluses. But the ease and flexibility I enjoyed with Android aren’t there. For instance, custom ringtones were simple on Android: download a song, move it to the ringtone folder, and voilà. On the iPhone, it’s so complicated that Apple even wrote a tech note on how to do it (https://support.apple.com/en-au/120692).

I also used the Android-to-Apple migration tool, which worked… sort of. It didn’t tell me which apps didn’t transfer. Some banking apps made it to the iPhone, but not all. Perplexing, to say the least.

It’s now Day 4. My plan is to stick with the iPhone until Christmas Day 2025 and then decide whether to continue or switch to Pixel. Using it feels like driving a left-hand-drive car in a right-hand-drive country. Some things are intuitive, while others require extra thought. Right now, I’m in that early frustration phase, but hopefully, it gets easier with time.

I’ve witnessed entire industries emerge seemingly overnight. Working in IT, I’ve seen these waves come and go, each promising to reshape the future.

Remember when Virtualization was the game-changer? Then came Cloud Computing, followed by the Internet of Things (IoT), Blockchain, and Big Data. Each of these buzzwords brought new opportunities—and new challenges. The list keeps growing as technology evolves, introducing more trends to capture the market’s attention.

These topics don’t just drive innovation; they fuel the next wave of sales. Companies latch onto them as the latest solutions to sell. Take Microsoft’s promotion of Co-pilot on their new laptops. They’re encouraging users to trade in their old devices, emphasizing productivity and AI-powered enhancements. It’s a smart move—pushing the narrative of staying ahead while generating $$$ for IT manufacturers.

And so, the cycle continues. The tech world keeps spinning, driven by the latest innovations, while businesses adapt to keep up or risk being left behind.

My, how time flies! I have been busy using the Marie Kondo Method to reduce my clutter.

“Keep only those things that speak to the heart, and discard items that no longer spark joy. Thank them for their service – then let them go.”

So, I have been reducing my stuff. When was the last time I used the two beach fishing rods? Actually, I never used them. I dusted them for 10 years, and they just sat in the back of the garage, taking up space both physically and mentally. That’s just one example.

I’m also working on reducing my clothes. I still have a Hugo Boss suit. It was on my dream list (I guess now they’re called bucket lists). So, lots of T-shirts have gone, and decisions have been made. As for jeans, I always wanted to wear Levi’s when I was a kid, but my parents wouldn’t buy them for me. So, I got rid of all my jeans and replaced them with one pair of Levi’s and one pair of RM Williams. If I use the $1 rule, I think the cost of my jeans is around 20 cents per wear. The same goes for shoes. I have Crocs, Blundstone Boots, and RM Williams boots (I wrote the purchase date in the boots – over 10 years ago!).

I have been meaning to post for a long time,  so here’s a quick update.   Changed jobs, stopped 4wding and photography.

Very sad my hobbies went away. I will be revisiting them this year and joining Toastmasters.

I do a fair about of speaking to groups for my work. ( IT Sales)  and I never get feedback on how I’m doing.  I think I could do better so lets see what Toastmasters can do for me.

We live in a regimented world.    Most things work on a schedule or a system.  Public transport, shopping, phones etc.

How do you hack them to get the most out of your day.

Here is a few of mine:

I fly very frequently for my work. I always choose the same seat.  Exit row, Isle.  Sometimes its slightly different due to the plane, but it is usually row 13 & 14.  I love the extra leg room and it just makes it a little easier to travel. If you sit on the isle seat, there is a button under the armrest that will allow you to put the armrest up, really handy when getting up to exit the plane.

I use a parking service, they run me to the airport and park my car. I call them when I return, they pick me up. Same price as public parking at the airport.

Uber is my transport, always.  I love that I can get in a car and never hand over my credit card.  I get receipts emailed to me so expenses are easy and you never have to hand over a credit card.

I use an Ikea cube for all my toiletries at home, then I just put it in a zipper bag and take it on my travels, this takes seconds to do.

I have been tidying up around the house and my office….

how does this happen? Why do I have 10 computer hard drives and a full box of coffee cups with a logo and phone number that I have not used for 7 years….   I found 4 Nokia phone charges…   why?I haven’t had a Nokia phone for at least 5 years probably longer..

Change of plans.. throw it out.  I am going to try this.. ” if I haven’t used it in 1 year, it gets thrown out, sold or given to charity”… I will post on my progress….

So we have 3 cars,  a bus, a 4wd and a Toyota Echo, the MB Bus hasn’t been driven for months,  registration and insurances cost $200 a month.  Over the weekend I devised a new plan.  Sell the MB Bus, sell the Pajero 4wd and buy a Tarago. Saving cash and sanity….

So that’s the journey I am embarking on…

PS: My son just crashed his car so we all 3 are in use now…..

Hi,

just a quick note to all my peeps out there.  I have consolidated my Blogs to this one, no others. I hope to be posting on a regular basis.

I had a great night out with my friends from Flickr, Newcastle Sundance.

What a diverse group of people, old, young and in between.  Most brands were there, Nikon, Canon, Olympus, even a Mamiya and a few point and shoots.

We spoke of  cameras, setups and photo ideas.  There was great comaradarie, there was great teaching and knowledge shared…

This image was shot was a very long exposure to try and get a light stream.. I love the result.

I have been very busy with work and homelife.  I have been in 3 major Australian cities in the last 4 weeks….

Moving forward, I am attempting to post every 2 days..

I have a list of 30 topics I want to write on and I am in discussion with a guest blogger….

Stay tuned….

I hate dealing with people who do a crap sandwich on you.

for example:

Hi Mike,  just wanted you to know you are doing a great job and we really apreciate blah blah blah.  (one slice of bread)  We just need you to get more sales as you are not reaching your figures this month or infact this quarter. (crap filling)  We think you have a great futrue here and were doing great ( one slice of bread)  .   you just got a crap sandwich. All you remember is the filling.

Don’t sugar coat it tell it as it is…..  much better for everyone.

Have you noticed the telemarketers have a simalar script, ” how was your day? tell a bad thing that this charity fixes and ask for money”

Well thats my rant for the day!

This is an amazing product, I have used it for around 3 months, i just gets better.

Springpad gives you a place to quickly and easily save anything you want to remember. Take a note, create a task, scan a product barcode and look up the book your friend mentioned. The best part is that no matter where you are, Springpad is there with you to make sure you don’t forget something worth remembering. Just think it and Spring it, and it’ll be there for you when you need it.

It’s amazing, keeps all my information, easily and securely. It is my primary note taking tool and I use it all the time. On my HTC Desire and Notebook….   I am sold.. and it’s free!

http://springpadit.com

*** Disclaimer***
I receive no benefit for this promotion. It’s just Damn good… enough said!

We are moving to a new blog spot.
thefocus.com.au
see you there…

I get a lot of emails, I used to auto sort them into folders, but I could not keep up with the reading of them.

Here is what I did:

Make a follow-up folder, action folder and file folder.

look at your inbox and then deal with the email.  Move to the folders  and then schedule a time to action them. Delete them if you don’t need to do action them.

I also have some auto file rules –  I don’t need to read my monthly bank statements but I need them sometimes so I have an inbound rule to file them.

unsubscribe to everything I did not read,  remember when you purchased the HP printer and you registered online, that put you on a mailing list.  unsubscribe to that type of thing.  That cut down my email by 50%

Anything you like to read – if it is a newsletter or blog, see if they have a RRS feed and subscribe to it. That way with a smart phone you can read them when you get time.. on the train, when waiting for a meeting etc..

Feedback is alway appreciated, how do you deal with email?

I used to chase the “best” deal, but I have found that administering all the accounts is a nightmare.  So my beloved had a mobile on one supplier, I had another, our home phone was with another.  3 bills, 3 direct debits or 3 credit card debts.   Don’t get me started on internet access,  1 account for adsl, different supplier for 3g… where does it stop.

2 cars, that’s 3 insurance options for each.

Now, all phones with one supplier who has my 3G service as well and as soon as my ADSL is off contract, that goes on the one bill.  Might cost a little more, but saves heaps of time and effort.

Now the push to get all the insurances with the same company!

Welcome to WordPress.com. After you read this, you should delete and write your own post, with a new title above. Or hit Add New on the left (of the admin dashboard) to start a fresh post.

Here are some suggestions for your first post.

1. You can find new ideas for what to blog about by reading the Daily Post.
2. Add PressThis to your browser. It creates a new blog post for you about any interesting  page you read on the web.
3. Make some changes to this page, and then hit preview on the right. You can alway preview any post or edit you before you share it to the world.