I was getting annoyed at Google for the services it counts as part of my ‘products’, but that was minor compared with what Harriet Jacobs has gone through with Google’s new Buzz service—which appeared to have put her personal safety in jeopardy (hat tip to Simon Green). From what I can tell, Buzz shares, […]
Read More… from Google might have signed you up to stuff you never asked for
I’ve heard it all before. In the 1980s, the New Zealand Government promised that, with the introduction of Goods and Services’ Tax (GST), people would be better off, because it would mean more money in our pockets. With the proposal to hike GST to 15 per cent under the current government, Prime Minister John […]
Read More… from I do not stand for John Key’s defeatist talk
This map (via pedroelrey on Tumblr) is food for thought, about international press freedoms: Those of us who enjoy a free press need to use it and not take it for granted. We might not always like what’s being said, but we should embrace the fact that we can say it at all. […]
I was surprised to learn that Toyota still has not issued a worldwide recall of its troublesome Prius NHW30 model, even though one had gone out in New Zealand. In layman’s terms, the brakes allegedly don’t work when you want them to. In more complex terms, the software has trouble distinguishing between different types […]
Read More… from Toyota’s troubles stem from forgetting its principles
The best quotation in the American media this week? In my opinion, it would have to be this: Howard Stern is being considered to replace Simon Cowell when he leaves “American Idol” after this season. Apparently Satan was out of Fox’s price range. From Tony Hicks in the Contra Costa Times. You may also […]
Read More… from Best quotation on the Howard Stern–American Idol tie-up
We might get critical over the upcoming uniforms, but the service on Air New Zealand that I experienced was very good. The staff was brilliant (deserving of whatever award was given to them), and the personal screens remain a lifesaver for in-air boredom. (I was surprised that Lufthansa, an airline I used to enjoy flying, […]
When Fiat was in the poo, I remember heading in to Italy and the cabs were a mixture of German and French cars, with a few Italian ones. Generally, it was a reflection of the state of the local motor industry: cab drivers are, perhaps subconsciously, patriotic and quite traditional. If they reject the local […]
Read More… from Taxis signal how a local car industry is going
I have a feeling something is wrong with Cities I’ve Visited on Facebook. (Actually, something’s been wrong for a long time, either with the application, Facebook, or something between the two.) Not only has it not published new cities I’ve entered on this most recent trip, I now notice that while the important metropolis of […]
Read More… from Hong Kong disappears from Cities I’ve Visited app?
This is a punny one for my Swedish friends. I know this is an innocent warning sign, but when a foreigner comes and he has a different skin colour, his mind wanders on what it could mean! Here’s a bit of humorous context about a very inappropriate sign at the National Bank in Wellington, […]
Saw this old Mikado commercial a few days back: and, after searching on YouTube, it appears that it was repurposed in Germany for a completely different product. Either that, or this came first: The top one seems to work better, probably because of the idea we have about conservative Japanese management. Any idea […]