(click on image to see larger version)

Thanks to Mark Pesce for the recommendation to the Essentials journalist, Nick Galvin.

Oh, and Fiona Morris had a version of the photo taken with cats. The cat versions were funnier. Behind the scenes: when the photo as taken, we were actually looking at http://icanhascheezburger.com/ for the LOL inspiration.

In the Wall Street Journal today there is an article on recent consumer research which shows that the world is not changing it’s tail.

“The Long Tail” posits that all products are equal on the Internet. A statement with which I agree: at the beginning all ideas, products are equal.

The research, from Professior Anita Elberse, states that there are still “hits” on the internet that reflect human’s social behaviour. A statement I also heartily agree with as certain products are deemed “hits” whilst others are “misses” and many are ignored as they lie hidden in the wastes of electrons. If one person in our trusted social network states that “product/film/artist is way cool”, we will probably follow.

What is different about the internet is that these trends are sometimes surprising, amplified and quickened.

Human behaviour hasn’t evolved to adequately cope with the shortening communication gap.

Australian Gaming Industry:

1. Worth: AU$1billion in 2006
   1. Note: Film/Box Office in 2007 AU$900million in 2007
2. Industry is Growing: >12% per year
3. 12.5m games sold in 2006
4. Gamer average age: 28 years old
5. Gamers are 60% male, 40% female
6. In 2007, 67% Australians have broadband
7. 35% are parents, 8% will tell you to get off their lawn (ie: are grandparents)
8. Australians spend AU$2million per day on interactive games
9. In 2006 8,500 employed in the games industry
10. Estimated in 2010 18,000 employed in the industry

sources:

Game Developer’s Association Australia: http://www.gdaa.com.au/docs/%20Submission%20to%20Government-June07-Coonan.pdf

Motion Picture Distributor’s Association Australia: http://www.mpdaa.org.au/customers/mpdaa/mpdaa.nsf/(PressReleasesByDate)/11-1-2008/$FILE/MEDIA%20RELEASE%20Year%20End%202007.pdf

ACMA: http://www.acma.gov.au/webwr/_assets/main/lib310631/0607commreport_complete.pdf

Cameron Reilly’s recent Podcast “Ex-Gloria Jean’s Franchisees Speak Out” is investigative journalism in the raw.

Further evidence that non “Mainstream Media” can do deep investigative journalism. TPN goes into the same orbit as Crikey.com.au in my book.

The story has been going along for some months and shows Cameron’s desire to find out the story to a greater depth than newspapers.

It will be interesting to see if Gloria Jeans (or at least the parent organisation of the franchise) replies to this, and asks to be interviewed by G’Day world. Or better yet, Cameron asks the organisation for a response.

Well done, Cameron.

Having just received a new imate Ultimate 9502 phone with NextG HSDPA from @JonoH I wired up in the following way:

• Dell XPS1330, using Bluetooth Personal Area Connection from within Vista SP1 x64 to…
• imate Ultimate 9502, using Internet Connection Sharing at 7.2Mb/s HSDPA on Telstra NextG running…
• ustream.tv putting priority on audio quality over video quality
• Placed laptop on the floor with camera pointing to stage. I used the inbuilt camera in the Dell, and the same inbuilt microphone.

The result is this:

The local Microsoft team asked me to contribute some articles. Writing with an editor with deadlines is tough! Thanks to Nick Broughall for his patience and assistance.

My articles:

• Silverlight Redefines Video On The Web
• Watching One Minute of Online Video Equal To Reading The Dictionary
• Step Back In Time With Turning The Pages 2.0
• Use WindowsLive Photo Galleries To Tag, Upload to Flickr
• Avoid Boring Slideshows By Sharing Photos Via Email
• Use Tags To Organise Your Photos Efficiently
• Keep Your Photos Organised With Windows Live Photo Gallery
• Use Parental Controls To Manage Your Child's Online Experience
• Automatically Convert Recorded Programs For Your iPod With MCEBuddy
• Set Up Your Own Home Media Center PC

In our home, we have a Windows Home Server. Thoughtfully named SERVER, it is small and sits quietly near the broadband connection.

After Media Center record TV shows on one PC, I generally like to store the results safely for later viewing.

The *.dvr-ms files created by Windows Media Center, especially on Digital TV transmissions, can be quite large.

So, to fix both of these issues I have installed MCEBuddy

A tool that quietly lives in the background of your PC, it watches the Recorded TV directory. When a show has completed recording, MCEBuddy compresses the show into something smaller (for instance: WMV or even MP4 for iPods!) and transfers automagically to our Windows Home Server.

I highly recommend this little utility.

The same occurred with television: expensive sets started in the lounge, and then migrated out to the kitchen, car and on small devices.

Now if your PC  Windows Vista Home Premium or Vista Ultimate, you can make a PC watch TV. And better yet, record it for later viewing. Sort of like those VCR things that we once all owned. All using Windows Media Center

Here is my setup, feel free to copy/paste:

1. Hardware

Inside my Vista PC, I have a Hauppage TV card installed. You can also purchase a USB sticks that will also work.

Just ensure that the card/USB device supports Windows Media Center

These cards/USB TV devices connect to a standard TV antenna. A good antenna is a must; and with the appropriate adaptors and extenders: you can use the same antenna the TV uses.

2. Software

Along with the TV cards/USB sticks there is driver software to install to connect between Vista’s Media Center and the card. I always check with the card’s web site to ensure the version is the absolute latest.

3. Services

In Australia, I have subscribed to free*epg from EPGStream.net. This service integrates with Windows Media Center to periodically collect Electronic Program Guides (EPG). Installing the software sets up all the appropriate “bits” in Vista to be wired ready for Australia.

4. Setup

Once all the above is installed, launch Vista Media Center.

Yes, the interface is different to normal PC applications. This is because Media Center is designed to work with a remote control. Don’t fear! You can use a mouse an keyboard to navigate the menus. Also notice as you move near the top-left of the Media Center window, you can expand/shrink the Media Center application to a smaller window. I use this often when working: a TV in a window on screen is sometimes an excellent productivity booster.

The first time you launch, there is an easy step-through process to connect all the bits together.

With Digital TV, there are more smarts: automatic assignment of TV stations to the correct episode listing.

5. Recording

Clicking on the Green Button returns the main Media Center menu to the screen.

Clicking on “Guide” returns the screen as above.

Right-clicking on a scheduled show allows you to Record it, or Record the Series. Recording a series will result in programs with that name on that station being automatically recorded. You don’t even need Windows Media Center running (yes, you need to ensure the PC is running, and the antenna is attached)

The shows that are recorded are saved as files on your PC in a directory: “C:\Users\Public\Recorded TV” for safekeeping. Or watching inside Windows Media Centre (TV and Movies, Recorded TV)

With a simple addition of a hardware card, you can turn your PC running Vista into a Digital TV that records for later viewing. I highly recommend this setup. Now TV is with you whilst you email.

Firstly, a connection to my Great-Great-Great Grandmother, Mary Milne was made in October 2007. Mary Milne is David Melville Hodge's mother.

Now, a relative in South Australia forwarded me this picture of my Great- Great- Grandfather: Mr David Melville Hodge.

More interestingly, a series of biographical stories appeared. He seems quite the pioneering character.

I think if here were around today, he’d be a blogger. And mercurial, too.

Short Biography from the Encyclopedia of South Australia

Mr David Melville Hodge, Chaff and grain merchant, Alexander Port Pirie, is a native of South Australia, having been born at Angaston in I860. He is a son of the late Mr. Melville Hodge, who settled in the Angaston district in the early days of the Province.

At the conclusion of his education, which was received at Saddleworth, while still quite a boy he came to Laura at the opening up of the Northern areas for settlement, and engaged in farming pursuits and outdoor life generally, roughing it in the manner well known to many of the young Australians of that pe­riod.

He visited the Kimberley "rush" in the north of Western Aus­tralia, Mount Brown, in Queensland, and has made himself acquainted with all the gold-mining centres in the Northern Territory and through­out the Commonwealth.

At a later period Mr. Hodge engaged in farming and teamstering in the northern parts of South Australia, and in 1901 established himself in his pre­sent business, that of a chaff and grain merchant, in Port Pirie. He has since worked up a satisfactory connection, and enjoys his full share of the trade of the district.

Mr. Hodge is a member of the Caledo­nian Society. In 1885 he married Julia Florence, daughter of Mr. John Pilgrim of Gawler, latterly of Laura, and has a family of six sons and two daughters.

Golden Wedding Anniversary (1936) Newspaper Clipping

Mr Hodge, Senr, of Lock, recenly celebrated the anniversary of his Golden Wedding. Mr Hodge was a successful farmer in the Gulnare district some years ago, and at one time was shearing for Mr Niel McGilp, who was widely known in pastoral areas. At Lock, Mr Hodge is one of the most interested workers in the Methodist Church, and to attend the services he drives his car 12 miles pracically(sic) every Sunday. Mr Hodge still drives a team of bullocks when clearing scrub on his farm, and this proves that he is a true son of the soil. A few years ago Mr Hodge gave up retired life, and returned to farming. On his Golden Wedding day, Mr Hodge composed the following poem.

Australia – A Poem by Mr. D. M. Hodge

AUSTRALIA.

Australia, I love thee,
The land that gave me birth,
And reared me up to manhood,
From the products of the earth.

Thou has let me roam in freedom,
From mountain top to plain,
And always gave sufficient,
To relieve my hunger pain.

I have seen thy silver mines,
And gold and copper, too,
Deep down into your bowels,
All shining bright and new.

Your wheat and wool I've carted,
From far inland to the sea,
To feed and clothe the hungry
In England or where’er it may be:

I’ve seen your men and women
Leave here to go and fight
And join up with dear old England
For justice, honor, and right.

I've seen your towns and cities
Grow up about your land,
And helped the pioneers to clear
Mallee and stones on every land.

And now I’m growing old and grey,
On this, my Golden Wedding Day;
Great Master wilt Thou hear me say,
‘Tis here in Australia I wish to stay.

Obituary

Mr. David Melville Hodge, 76, died at the home of his son-in-law (Inspec­tor M. M. Bishop), of Fourth street, Port Pirie West, on September 5. His earliest juvenile experiences included the sight of mobs of wild natives at North Rhine surrounding the home of his father. The latter died there when David Hodge was a small boy and he moved with his mother to Coghill's Creek. At 11 years of age he became a farmer's boy with a wage of 2/6 a week, but he soon afterwards obtained employment with Mr. Hugh Aitken, a famous coltbreaker of his day, and from him learned the art of handling horses.

After a brief spell at home he left, on a horse he had pur­chased for £4 10/, finding his way to Kapunda and thence to Adelaide, where he obtained employment with a farmer at Balaklava. At Port Wakefield later he obtained a passage by ketch to Port Adelaide, but soon trekked north again.

His next job was that of woolpicker on Paratoo Run. then jointly held by Sir Thomas Elder and Mr. Peter Waite. Later, purchas­ing a team of bullocks, he engaged in carting sleepers from Wirrabara and took loads to the Silverton silver fields. He claimed to have carted the first consignment of silver-lead ore from Thackaringa to Terowie to be sent from there by train to Port Adelaide.

In 1886 he and two mates, W. Duck and F. Lindsay, set off for what was reported to be a rich gold find in the Kimberleys. Mr. Hodge returned to South Australia and started a chaff store, sawmill, and woodyard at Port Pine.

Seven years later he moved to Pirie Springs, near Laura, and from there to Gulnare. Five years' retirement in Adelaide followed, but 10 years ago he took up land at Lock, on the West Coast, returning from there to Port Pirie. At Laura he married Miss Flor­ence Julia Pilgrim, who survives. Mr. and Mrs. Hodge celebrated their gol­den wedding in 1935. Four sons and two daughters are left—Messrs. Frank. Hector, Kenneth (West Coast), and William Hodge (Iron Knob). Mrs. J. N. O'Brien (West Australia), and Mrs. M. M. Bishop (Port Pirie).

Finally, Stallman suggested keeping Oyster cards in aluminium foil when they aren't actually being scanned for travel, to prevent them being scanned secretly.