by cameron | Aug 24, 2007 | Uncategorized
So today after using Windows Vista for six months, I decided to try and play around with the vista speech recognition system.
and although it has come a long way since I First Started using it 10 years ago, it is unfortunately still a long way from being a practical tool for most of us on a daily basis.
For example, the list of applications that it works with does not include many of the applications that I live in everyday, including WordPress, Thunderbird, Skype and Firefox. In fact, in order to write this post, I had to open up Wordpad. I will cut and paste the text later.
That said, speech recognition has certainly come a long way. I do like the way Microsoft has integrated the speech commands into the operating system. They seem to have put a lot of thought into the various ways we will want to use voice in the future to interface with our computers. And while it is true, yes, that I can probably type a lot faster than I am able to currently use speech recognition, I am going to try to integrate it into more of my daily routine, if for no other reason, then to avoid getting RSI.
by cameron | Aug 24, 2007 | Uncategorized
Want to show your appreciation with money? Then buy me stuff I can’t afford from my Amazon wish list (link). You don’t even have to wait for my birthday (October 10 btw)!
by cameron | Aug 24, 2007 | Australian media, Australian politics
I don’t think much of Jeff McMullen’s style of moderating, but it’s great to see more debate-style shows on Aussie TV. Last night’s episode of “Difference of Opinion” was frustrating but well worth the watch. Last night he had an “expert panel” including Julian Burnside QC to debate the need for our anti-terrorism laws and whether they are being used or abused. The debate was a major clusterfuck. On the left side of the panel they had two guys who might have stepped out of FOX. If they were any further right they would have been goose-stepping. On the right hand side of the panel they have Burnside and another academic, neither of whom were able to get a word in sideways. Some major idiot from Canada kept interrupting them (and the audience, and McMullen, who couldn’t, or wouldn’t, shut him up).
That said, the debate is a necessary one and I applaud the ABC for attempting to have it.
You can download it from the ABC’s site.
by cameron | Aug 23, 2007 | advertising people are dumb
I opened up the YourRestaurants site on Ninemsn, tabbed away to check something, and all of a sudden, underneath the Daft Punk I have coming through the phones, I hear Billy Connolly’s voice. WTF?!, I think, wondering if DP had sampled the Big Yin like Orbital sampled Christopher Eccleston on the track “You Lot”.
Unfortunately, I tab back to the Ninemsn page, to see a bloody video pop up ad for ING.
This shit is just WRONG. Seriously. Folks at Ninemsn, if you’re reading this, CUT THAT SHIT OUT. And ING folks, if you’re reading this, SACK YOUR AGENCY.
Popping up interstitials is bad enough, but VIDEO interstitials is just a plain shitty thing to do. It is rude, it is arrogant and it is annoying. Is that what you came up with in your brand meeting?
Agency Dickhead #1 “Hmmm, what do we want to ING brand to stand for?”
Agency Dickhead #2 “I know – how about being arrogant, rude, obnoxious assholes.”
Agency Dickhead #1 “Hmmm I’m SNIIFFFFFFF feeling that, Crispin. How do you think we could accomplish that vision on our budget?”
Agency Dickhead #2 “I know Marshall SNIFFFFFFFF – how about we pop up FUCKING VIDEO INTERSTITIALS WITHOUT ASKING PEOPLE TO OPT FUCKING IN!??”
Fuck you people. Seriously. You’re on my list.
by cameron | Aug 23, 2007 | Uncategorized
Jeff Pulver asked this question on his blog yesterday. A number of people, myself included, told their stories. Fascinating reading.
Today’s Question of the Day: If you are an Entrepreneur, How did YOU become one?
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If you are or ever have been an Entrepreneur, what event in your life pushed you to go out on your own? What is YOUR story? Is this something that “just happened?†Or was this planned? Would you recommend the Entrepreneur lifestyle to others?
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by cameron | Aug 23, 2007 | Melbourne, Podcast
A spontaneous Twitter lunch happened in Melbourne yesterday between myself, Nick Hodge, Garth Kidd, Robin Frousheger, and Andrew Barnett.
The lunch came together over Twitter when Nick, who is based in Sydney, mentioned he was having a coffee at a particular Melbourne Starbucks. Robin, Andrew and I all saw the message and invited ourselves to join him. And then Garth Kidd, who was also visiting Melbourne from Sydney, recognized the red sunnies in the street and I invited him to join us. Over coffee I asked each of the guys to tell me how they use Twitter, the impact it has had on their work/social/blogging lives and how they think corporate marketers should be using it.
Here are the protagonists:
Nick Hodge
Garth Kidd
Robin Frousheger
Andrew Barnett
Become part of the G’Day World conversation.
I’ve created a couple of groups inside Second Life. You can now add yourself to the following groups:
Friends Of G’Day World
MODM
The Podcast Network
If I knew how to link directly to those groups from here, I would. But I don’t. So for now you just need to search for them in-world. Or you can add “Cameron Switchblade” to your friends and check out the groups I belong to.
If you’re a member of Facebook, you can ADD ME AS A FRIEND and then ADD YOURSELF TO THE G’DAY WORLD GROUP.
Add me to your Twitter account.
Do me a solid and digg the show.
Get the TPN version of Particls.
Don’t forget to make use of my new comments line – +613 9016 9699.
You can now buy transcripts of this podcast from Pods In Print.
If you enjoyed this podcast, make sure you don’t miss future episodes by subscribing to our feed and leave us a voice comment!
The G’Day World Theme Song is “Save Me†by The Napoleon Blown Aparts.
<img src="http://www.addthis.com/images/button2-bm.png" alt="AddThis Social Bookmark Button" border="0"
by cameron | Aug 22, 2007 | Podcast, Uncategorized
Just back from lunch with Dr Peter Ellyard and a spontaneous Twitter meetup lunch with Nick Hodge, Garth Kidd, Andew Barnett and Froosh (you’ll hear the show we recorded tomorrow), and I see Chris Pirillo has posted up a podcast of the live video show we did yesterday! Here it is:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rZIWDOSD-A]
Chris | Live Tech Support | Video Help | Add to iTunes
by cameron | Aug 22, 2007 | Melbourne, Podcast
Ryan Trainor started his first company, a Retail Security firm in 1997 at the age of 23. After three years he was servicing most major retailers in Australia, including Coles Myer and Woolworths, employing hundreds of staff and regarded as a key innovator of change in the security personnel industry. He sold to a large Multi National in 2000.
Since then, Ryan has founded grown several businesses, is the past President for the Entrepreneurs Organisation (EO) in Melbourne, Australia and is now a partner in the NinetyDaysâ„¢ Agency, a group of entrepreneurs who specialise in assisting early stage, high growth companies and is the co founder of JOOCED media.
Become part of the G’Day World conversation.
I’ve created a couple of groups inside Second Life. You can now add yourself to the following groups:
Friends Of G’Day World
MODM
The Podcast Network
If I knew how to link directly to those groups from here, I would. But I don’t. So for now you just need to search for them in-world. Or you can add “Cameron Switchblade” to your friends and check out the groups I belong to.
If you’re a member of Facebook, you can ADD ME AS A FRIEND and then ADD YOURSELF TO THE G’DAY WORLD GROUP.
Add me to your Twitter account.
Do me a solid and digg the show.
Get the TPN version of Particls.
Don’t forget to make use of my new comments line – +613 9016 9699.
You can now buy transcripts of this podcast from Pods In Print.
If you enjoyed this podcast, make sure you don’t miss future episodes by subscribing to our feed and leave us a voice comment!
The G’Day World Theme Song is “Save Me†by The Napoleon Blown Aparts.
<img src="http://www.addthis.com/images/button2-bm.png" alt="AddThis Social Bookmark Button" border="0"
by cameron | Aug 22, 2007 | Uncategorized
I bought this costume in SL tonight to impress by kids… no, really…
by cameron | Aug 21, 2007 | Iraq, Uncategorized
From the most excellent Sox First blog comes news that PwC and IBM say that claims they used bribes to win government contracts is just STUPID! FOOLISH! PREPOSTEROUS! And they completely deny the basis of the allegations!
But they have agreed to pay $5.2 million to make those untrue, ridiculous allegations go away. And they also want you to know that Michael Jackson didn’t touch little boys either. Oh and the Iraq invasion has NOTHING to do with oil.
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PricewaterhouseCoopers and IBM have settled allegations that the companies were involved in graft over government contracts.
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According to the Department of Justice press release, the firms had agreed to pay $5.2 million to settle the allegations. IBM has agreed to pay close to $3 million and PricewaterhouseCoopers just over $2.3 million. Not good news for Accenture, Hewlett-Packard, and Sun Microsystems because allegations have been made against those companies, according to the release. |
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