I’ve crossed to the red side

24/01/2010 — efan78

Yes, it is with a heavy heart that I have left my current broadband provider for beardy Branson’s baby.  After updating my PC last year and getting a new Laptop, along with my G1, Andy’s laptop, Sam’s laptop and the Wii (as well as Lee’s PS3 when he brings it over) I began to notice that the broadband wasn’t as robust as it had been.

I used all the tricks to get a better signal into the router – changing the microfilters, moving the router to the Master socket, rebooting it regularly, but it just wasn’t enough.

Don’t get me wrong, the service that I received from the team over at BE broadband was fantastic.  In fact, I’m following them over on twitter and will continue to do so.  My second account (which we set up for Andy’s mum) is also going to be kept, although with the updates to their prices I think the lower package may be the best for her.  There’ll be no difference in speed but if she exceeds the 40GB/month limit I’ll be wondering just what it is she’s doing with her computer!

I really like BE.  The team in their technical support and accounts call centres are fantastic.  They pitch their advice to the level you’re at, simple and straightforward for those who aren’t techie.  Slightly moreso for those who are, and I’m sure if you were some sort of l33t H@XX0r – they’d be able to match you acronym for acronym.  As a call centre worker I think the highest praise I can give them is that I don’t care that they’re not based in the UK.  Well, actually I do!  If they were I’d have applied for a job ;-D

They give the impression that they’re a small company who values it’s customers – and value each and every one of those customers.  They arrange socials, meetings and even conference calls to discuss changes to the service.  They are truly everything I look for in a company.

So why do you want to leave?  I’m sure you’re asking.

It’s simple and has nothing whatsoever to do with BE.  The simple answer is BT.

For years BT had a complete monopoly on telephone services, competition didn’t exist and any that did was swiftly quashed (anyone remember the Mercury button?) But the powers that be decided to break that monopoly (and quite rightly so).  But the problem is – like the gas companies with Transco – new broadband and telephone companies have to use BT Openreach and its outdated copper wires.  This means that they just can’t offer the speeds that we need in this always on, always connected world, because BT can’t keep up – never mind get ahead of the game for the future.

So, it is with a heavy heart that I have swallowed my dislike for Richard Branson and his awful media-pandering ways and gone to Virgin Media for my Broadband.  I’ve been assured that I’ll be able to get 18-20Mb through the fibre-optic cable that allegedly runs into my house, and I’ve also been told that they aren’t running a fair usage policy any more.  But we’ll wait to see.

In the meantime my advice to you is this.  If you’re not in a cable area, or the speed that you can get down a BT line is good enough for you then I urge you to look at BE.  Their customer service is second to none and they’re the company that Branson wants us to think Virgin are.  But if it’s speed you need then I’m afraid you’re going to have to head to the red too.  Sorry!

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BA Cabin Crew Strike – My opinion

16/12/2009 — efan78

ba_logoI left my job at British Airways nearly 3 months ago now as part of the voluntary redundancy packages that the company was offering.  Even then there was a feeling throughout the company that we were experiencing the most difficult times that the airline had ever faced.  I worked at BA through the 11 September tragedy and subsequent closing of US Airspace for over a week.  It was a dark time then and the “Future size and shape” plan that the then CEO Rod Eddington had to implement made things feel even worse.

But the airline pulled together, all the staff looked at what they could do to help and stood together, truly united in helping each other and the company that we loved to survive.  This included some silly things like turning off the fountains in the outdoor smoking area and not providing disposable cups for the water fountains.  But, as Tesco knows, every little helps.

This recession however has been even more difficult for British Airways.  This time the company is faced with the low-cost airlines (who have a completely different business model) as well as video-conferencing, the growth of the Internet & Web 2.0 and mobile technology, all of which reduce the need for travelling around the world to do business.

As background, my role at British Airways (when I left) was in the Customer Relations department.  My role was to deal with customers who wrote, called or emailed in to the company about their experience.  Many of these contacts were complaints about many different aspects of the service, but we did what we could to help customers and make things better.

All across the airline staff have been asked to take Voluntary Unpaid Leave, Voluntary Unpaid Work, cuts in bonuses, reductions in working hours, changes to core hours and anything else that they can do to help.  We accepted as many of these as we could – because we knew that it was vital that we help the company to raise as much cash as possible in the short term, and that we work smarter in the long term.  The Flight Crew accepted it, Engineers accepted it, Ground staff accepted it, the contact centres accepted it.  The only people who seem to have had a problem for the last 9 months have been the Cabin Crew.  unite_logo

In times like this it seems that the crew have forgotten that British Airways trades on the view that people have of it.  BA is a long standing company that is very often in the public eye.  The British public have a passion for BA and feel strongly about the way that it runs.  From many of the people that I spoke to many of them feel personally let down when things go wrong.  They feel personally invested in the company and they want to see it succeed.  But the problem is that a 12 day strike, AT CHRISTMAS, will cause a huge drop in public support.  This will lead to less people feeling confident in the airline, and ultimately less passengers.

Tony Woodley, Unite and the crew – listen to the feedback you’re getting from your customers, listen to the swell of public support for Willie Walsh and the BA management team, listen to your colleagues who are also going through huge changes to ensure that you all have jobs.  Remember that over 40,000 people also work for the same company and this selfish stamping of your feet will trample on their toes and may – in the end – cost you all your jobs.

You’re well off at BA, believe me – I’ve only been working outside the company for 3 months but I can see just how well off I was there, the management do care for your opinion – but they can’t just think of you.  Now is the time for BA to reshape itself for the future.  Because in its middle age shape that it is now it just can’t support itself.

Please, just think about what you’re doing.

Ethan

Team Willie

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National Bullying Week

19/11/2009 — efan78
www.areyoubeingbullied.com

www.areyoubeingbullied.com

So, a little Birdie tells me that this week (16-20 November) is National Anti-Bullying Week.  This little birdie is called Percy the Pigeon and he supports the fantastic BullyingUK in their hard work to help people who are affected by bullying.  Now there has been a lot of discussion in the media about cyber-bullying over the past couple of days and I’m no expert, but I just wanted to say.  If you read this (I know there’s not many people that do, but if you fall on this post by accident!) and you’re being bullied then know that you’re not alone.

There are a load of resources available online and offline for you.  If you’re a member of a social networking site and feel intimidated or bullied then remember that most sites have a safety policy or some way to deal with harassment.  Bebo’s report button has been quite widely publicised but, while Bebo’s big, it hasn’t got the same coverage as the big three.  So, if you want to know what Facebook, MySpace and twitter do about this sort of thing then the links above will take you straight to their safety pages.

But we know that bullying often doesn’t just take place online.  It’s not uncommon for bullies to bully a target in person and then carry this on through new technology.  This can be through your mobile phone, and BullyingUK has a great article about what to do if you’re being bullied by phone.  The thing to remember though is this:

It’s not your fault.  You don’t deserve to be bullied and have every right to feel safe.

If you, or anyone you know is being bullied then speak to an adult who you trust.  This can be a parent, teacher, another family member, school counsellor, police officer, anyone that is there for you.  If you feel unsure then remember that Childline is available throughout the UK.  If you call from a landline then the calls are free.  The number is 0800 1111.  Remember though, you are never alone.  There are lots of people out there who’ve been bullied at some point in their lives.  I talked about my experiences a few months ago.  But do you know what?  We got through it and made a success of our lives – and so can you!

But bullying doesn’t only happen to young people.  Adults can experience it too, at work, at home, out with friends.  And it can sometimes feel even more difficult.  But there are resources available for adults too. BullyOnLine have some great resources for adults so, if you’re being bullied have a look.  And if you don’t know whether you’re being bullied then have a look at this list.

To sum up I have to quote my little feathered friend because: Percy Says “Stay Safe in Cyberspace”

Download the widget stay safe in cyberspace – National anti-bullying week 2009
more widgets at Widgadget at widgets community!

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My Android top ten

15/11/2009 — efan78

Inspired by the release of the Droid and the expected influx of new Android users the guys over at Phandroid have just released 5 x top ten application lists for newcomers to the Android platform.  Now, I mentioned a few a while back but that was before I bothered to root my phone, and get soooo much more from it than I ever imagined!!!

So I thought I’d revisit the subject and have a look for my top ten applications – you know – the ones that I just HAVE to have loaded and running.  Although with the number of apps being released this is probably out of date before I even post it :-D

Android top tenMy first recommendation to anyone who’s new to Android is to get root access – it’s such a lifesaver and believe me, the difference between the way that Android works as provided and when rooted is amazing.  Firstly it’s quicker, the modders (developers who create front ends for rooted phones) spend most of their time tweaking the code to make it faster, you can also “over-clock” your phone too – this means that the phone works harder, of course it also means that your phone won’t last as long (think of it as making your phone run or jog everywhere instead of walking – it’ll get tired more quickly).  But considering the average phone life that won’t make too much of a difference.  You can also get hold of themes for your phone without downloading a Home Replacement app (like aHome, dxTop or Openhome).  Don’t get me wrong, I loved aHome when I was using it, but it did slow my phone down somewhat!

If you choose to root then I can state categorically that Cyanogenmod’s versions are fantastic, quick, easy to use and with so many great little touches it just makes the standard GUI look pathetic!

So, my top ten “must have” apps that I can’t leave off my phone…

1. Twidroid - Okay, I don’t know if you’re on twitter or not, but if you are then Twidroid is pretty much the app to beat.  All the other twitter apps are compared to this one, just check the market!  It’s not without its frustrations but the great thing is that they’re constantly releasing updates and listen to their customers.  If you’re not on twitter then I’d like to recommend that you join it, you can get updates from AndriodGuys.com (@androidguyscom), AndroidAndMe.com (@AndroidAndMe), ForceClose.com (@ForceClose) and others!

2. GReader Notifier – It’s an old app now and not without its problems (the email story function doesn’t seem to work and other little things like that) but it uses the standard Google Reader interface so you know exactly what you’re looking at – there are a lot of things that I’d like to have in it but it’s very functional and does all that I need!  (See – I can tell the difference between need and want – just like I NEED a Vega! ;-P)

3. Documents to Go – There are a few apps out there that cover Office-type things but I haven’t been able to find one that holds a candle to Docs2Go.  It covers everything that I need, full editing (yes, including formatting etc…) covering Word, Excel and PowerPoint up to 2007 and a simple way to forward it – I use it regularly when out jobhunting and the like to send on my CV (and I can alter it to match the job that I’m applying for!)

4. K-9 Mail – I have a G-Mail account (obviously!) and it’s ideal for me to use as my personal email address, but (for the aforementioned job-searching) I also set up a separate personal email address using my own domain, and couldn’t stand the built in email app.  Thankfully the open source community out there had the solution – K-9, it’s everything you need in an email system including (my favourite little function) – Signatures!  (Did you hear that Google – Signatures, give me signatures on my phone goddamit!)

5. AniWidget - I mentioned this over on ForceClose.com, it’s a multi-function widget with an Analog clock, digital clock, calendar, to do list, agenda, weather app, and the obligatory flashlight, mute, wi-fi and airplane mode toggle you get a lot of bang for your buck, and it all fits into a tiny 2×2 or 4×2 widget – leaving you loads of space for shortcuts and other widgets.

6. UltimateFaves – Yes, you could just add a bunch of folders to your desktop, but the thing that UltimateFaves have over simple folders is quite simple – look at it – it’s way cooler!  Whoosh!

7. 3Banana – It’s still my favourite notes app, yes I’ve downloaded (and bought) other note taking apps (like Note Everything) but I still come back to 3banana.  You can jot down a quick note, sync it to the web, share it with your friends via a URL or QR Code, they can add notes to it you can add URLs, embedded images/YouTube videos, hashtag labelling.  It really is everything I’ve found I’ve needed!

8. TuneWiki - This is a great application that allows you to listen to your music that you’ve loaded onto your phone, it scrobbles with your Last.fm account and also has last.fm and Shoutcast radio support.  But its unique selling point?  It makes your Android phone a mini karaoke machine thanks to the lyrics being shown on screen in time with the music!  Oh, and there’s even a little map showing what people nearby are listening to.

9. AddressBook – It’s currently in beta and a little buggy but I love this – it’s the first app that I’ve found that brings together all your contacts in one place, it links your address book contacts (phone/mobile/email) with twitter, Facebook, YouTube and more and aggregates them together in one place.  Want to drop someone a message?  Just open Addressbook and you can check their Facebook account to see what they’re up to.  Was that not updated recently? Send them a tweet!  If they’re not on twitter drop them a text to find out what they’re up to then send them an email with the details of that nightclub you want to meet at.  And all of these are stored in your call history!  It’s really got potential and I can’t wait to see where they’re going to take it next!

10. Camera ZOOM FX/Photo BURST – Hmm, does this count as cheating? Adding 2 apps in one place? Well, if it does, tough! ;-P Camera ZOOM FX is the way that the camera should have been set up, with effects, 3x Zoom and loads of fab little add ons it’s the perfect way to customise your photos as much as you’ve customised your phone, and Photo BURST? It’s the Gallery to show off your Camera ZOOM (what’s with all the capital letters!?!) creations.

10.1 (bugger it – I’ve already broken the top ten app rule anyway!) beebPlayer – It’s only really of any use to UK Android owners so it doesn’t count towards my top-ten – honest!  But if you want to watch the iPlayer on your phone then this is the bunny for you!

OK, so, if this ever gets read by someone who’s just got themselves an Android phone I just have to say.  ”Welcome to the fold, you have in your hand one of the most fantastic pieces of tech you could ever own, the possibilities are almost limitless and you have my permission to walk up to anyone you see with an iPhone and say ‘Baaa!’ then run away laughing like a loon!”

I hope this will be at least a little bit of use to someone, and if it isn’t then I’m sorry for wasting your time!

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Android Apps, My Recommendations

19/07/2009 — efan78
Image taken from http://www.ryebrye.com/blog/

Image taken from http://www.ryebrye.com/blog/

OK, I’m not an expert.  I’m just a guy who’s been using the T-Mobile G1 (the Google Phone) for 6 months, and it’s great!

There are so many people out there extolling the virtues of the iPhone – especially the new 3GS (I had my opinions on the subject way back before it even came out!), but I think it’s time that someone stepped forward and explained that the iPhone doesn’t have the sole monopoly on Applications.

Actually, that reminds me, I haven’t heard from the ASA regarding the final results of my complaint against Apple about the use of “There’s an app for that… Only on the iPhone” adverts.  I wonder how long it usually takes for a follow-up?

Anyway, this isn’t meant to be another iPhone thread because, well, quite simply – I want to give my suggestions for the Android Apps that have improved my Android life so let’s start with:

Twidroid – probably the best twitter client on the Android market at the moment, it brings most of the functionality of the website (except for viewing your followers/following list). It also has built in URL shortening and the facility to post images to twitpic or it’s own in-house site Phodroid, and it does it all smoothly!

3Banana – A versatile notes App that syncs directly with the 3banana.com website, allowing you to check and update your notes from anywhere with an internet connection, and if you don’t have a connection then just add the note and it’ll sync as soon as you do!  The ability to add images, links, HTML and embedded items (like YouTube etc…) as well as the automatic telephone number recognition and easy tagging using hashtags make this a fantastically useful tool.  There’s also a comments section and the facility to share your 3Banana notes with anyone through a direct URL or QR Code.  But don’t be worried, your notes are private unless you choose to share them.  I use it primarily to jot down blog ideas, keep shopping lists and generally just dump my thoughts there to be sorted at a later date.

DocumentsToGo – This is the best Word and Excel App that I’ve found on the Android Market, and the only one to support all of the most popular Microsoft Office formats up to Office 2007. The integration is fantastic and it’s so easy to share documents via GMail that you really need this if you’re ever going to need to write full docs or spreadsheets.  You can also access password protected files too.

AniWidget – This is a fantastic desktop widget that comes in two flavours; a 2×2 and a 4×2 size and includes an analogue clock, digital clock, notepad, to do list, calendar and agenda syncing, rss feed reader and a weather widget. Along with the obligatory flashlight, mute function, wireless and airplane mode toggle this is a versatile and desperately needed widget for everyone!

TuneWiki – OK, forget the built in media player, not only can TuneWiki do everything it can, it’ll also automagically connect to its website and search for the Lyrics for you, and put them up on your screen karaoke-stylee. Tie in the YouTube functionality, last.fm support and Shoutcast radio functions and you’ll never need another music app. The free version does have ads, but it’s a small price to pay for the full app once you’ve tested it, I can almost guarantee that you’ll love it! Oh, and did I mention, if ever you’re stuck for ideas (and with all of that how could you be!?!) they’ve also got a built-in maps feature (that can also be viewed on the website) which shows what people nearby are listening to!

bbc-iplayerbeebPlayer – An unofficial but fantastic iPlayer app, you can watch your favourite BBC programmes through your Android Phone anywhere. There are a few bugs every so often (the BBC don’t officially support T-Mobile for example so if you’re on the T-Mob G1 then 3G may cause problems) although I’ve never really had a problem with Wi-Fi access.

aHome – This is where Android really comes into it’s own, the open source nature of the platform means that anyone can rewrite the code for central parts of the OS, such as the desktop. When I got my G1 there wasn’t much that you needed desktop space for so three screens was plenty. But there were a few desktop replacement apps on the Market, aHome, dxTop, Sweeter Home and Open Home, all of which provided widgets before cupcake and also released more screens. I’ve tried each of them but every time I moved I found myself coming back to the easy to use and well written aHome, so I bought it!

So, yes the Android Market has a spirit level, a tip calculator, a taxi application and all the other gumpf that Apple thought they needed to promote on those stupid ads, but there are lots of other apps out there that will genuinely improve your use of your phone.  And with the way the Android Dev team have been throwing out updates and the way the OHA have been announcing new hardware the only way is up for Android!

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Twitter – The Basics

21/05/2009 — efan78

newbie-signpost

Last month I wrote a post called “I don’t get twitter” that was aimed at a couple of work colleagues who couldn’t get their head round how twitter could be fun.  Now, since then a couple of people have said that the basics are a bit daunting and – to be honest – I can see exactly what they mean!  Let’s take an example:

RT via @efan78 #followfriday @StewSimpson is a fab musician <- Follow him now!

So you see, Twitter uses codes which are confusing at first glance, but I promise they don’t stay that way!

When you post your first update to twitter you’ll probably use the web interface at www.twitter.com, so I’ll use that as my base.  As you get used to twitter you’ll find that there are a lot of different ways to access the site and a lot of people will recommend services and twitter apps (applications).  That isn’t the purpose of this post!

test-tweet

So, when you first post on twitter you’ll fill in the “What are you doing?” box.  There are a few different ways of doing this and none of them are really ‘right’ or ‘wrong’.  You’ll develop your own style/personality.

As you start to follow people you’ll start seeing their posts appearing in your twitter thread and you’ll probably see posts that you want to respond to.  It’s really easy to do, when you hover your mouse over the tweet you’ll see a small arrow on the right-hand side.  By clicking on this the “What are you doing?” box will automatically fill with @<username> – this is called a reply.

Anyone who can see your posts can see a reply but it will stand out to the person that sent it.  You can check your own replies by clicking on the link at the far right hand side of the screen.  If you want your message to be more personal then you can send a direct message – this can only be sent to someone who is following you and that you are following.

You’ll also see three other things that will help, two of them can be lumped together (RT @<user>, and Via @<user>)  - which means ReTweet or that a message came via @<user>.  A ReTweet is a message copied verbatim from another user and the @<user> bit tells everyone who you got it from.  Via is a message that’s still evolving – I use it when I’m not copying a message verbatim but posting my own personal take.

The other thing that you’ll need to know about is the #hashtag.  It’s a keyword that people use to help others find tweets on a particular subject.  One of the most popular is #FollowFriday.

I hope this is some help, and will be continuing to add to this page as I think of more things!

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#FixReplies

13/05/2009 — efan78

twitter LogoSo, this morning – like the rest of the twitterverse – I logged on and saw the announcement that there had been a “Small Settings Update” and that this affected @replies.

There seemed to be a bit of confusion as to HOW this affected us all, although we knew it would.  It didn’t take long though for the hashtag to arrive, and it was #FixReplies.  This was different to any of the myriad ‘bring back the old Facebook‘  petitions, unlike Facebook, twitter changed a fundamental part of the social networking side.  It would be like taking away the “People you may know” feature from Facebook.

Eventually, twitter realised that there was a problem and thanked the community for the feedback, and it seemed that the only thing that was getting through as being worrying was that people use the unshared @reply to find other new tweeps to follow.  Of course that was a concern, but I had a thought…

One of the big conversations about twitter around the net at the moment is whether it will replace Google.  To do this twitter HAS to allow information to flow freely around the twitterverse, and this new “feature” doesn’t allow it.

As an example, I follow @BullyingUK, an excellent support resource (and yes that was a shameless plug!).  Now imagine @BullyingVictim sends a message to @BullyingUK asking for a telephone number he could call for help.  

Using the old system, @BullyingUK could hit the reply button and say “@BullyingVictim Call your local helpline on 12345678.”  And anyone following @BullyingUK could see it.  Under the new system you would need to follow both @BullyingUK and @BullyingVictim to get the update.  

Now imagine you’re a worried, shy person who needs that number but daren’t ask and you don’t know @BullyingVictim.  You won’t see either tweet.  The new system doesn’t work.

As I was heading home from work earlier however I saw a link to a final post from @Biz that said it wasn’t a new feature, but something that the system couldn’t do any more.  But it’s a key part of what makes twitter work, and the team need to remember this.

They’ve said the way around it is to type your @reply instead of using the reply button.  Isn’t that great – especially after reports that show 60% of twitter users don’t get it and quit within a month – twitter decides to make the site even less user friendly!

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I don’t get twitter

13/04/2009 — efan78

I have a few friends at work who’ve started using twitter, but it seems that no-one’s really “getting it”, by which I think they mean that they’re not enjoying their experience.
The only reason I can think of is that twitter is true social media. There’s no distractions, no way to interact with people outside of the 140 characters. You actually have to sit and read what other people are saying and you have to react!
It might seem simple but if twitter is going to be any use to you then you need to be prepared to tweet and be tweeted. Be prepared to start your own update but also to RT (retweet). Use general sweeping statements and @replies. Use photos, blogs and other pages to explain in more detail. But remember, above all else, interact with people.
I think that there are a couple of things that I’ve noticed my friends doing that I don’t think help them. I did the same at first but then realised that this wasn’t helping me with what I wanted from twitter.

  • They’re Following mostly celebrities. This isn’t a bad thing if all you’re interested in is what @xxandip (Andi Peters) had for breakfast (in case you’re interested – it’s ALWAYS pineapple) or where @stephenfry’s heading next (as he’s spent the last month or so jetting around for various programmes). I’m a follower of Stephen’s as I like his updates, I like to see some of the photos that he sends and I am a fan of his in general. But I found that most of the stars are either more bothered about what they can say to the world, or in giving one-word answers to as many of their followers as possible.
  • There are people out there who are spamming stars with “follow me” requests, personally – if I’m going to be followed by someone famous – I’d rather that it was because I actually post interesting updates than because I typed #followmestephen. And if I come across someone who’s every other post is “Pleeeeaase follow me random star” then I’m afraid I’ll not be interacting with them, I don’t want to be seeing that taking over my twitterstream thanks.
  • They approach updates as they would Facebook and so their posts usually start “is…” and follow that literally with what they are doing. Yes it’s a purist’s way of tweeting, but it’s not fun! I always worry when I look down a twitterstream for someone and don’t see a single update that starts @, RT, via or with a picture in it.

So my advice to people who are looking for a fun time on twitter – don’t rely on celebrities – look around and find fun people that you like. Look at their recent tweets and take advice from other people. Ask others that you’re following, or that are following you, if they have any recommendations, use #followfriday suggestions – and most of all – INTERACT with people!
—- Update —-
Thanks to @tonyisme’s great linkage – here’s a great YouTube video about twitter to explain what it’s all about!

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