bradKELLETT

This is in response to Kent Newsome’s request for inspiration for his feed reading list (his ‘swivel feeds’ experiment). As you can imagine, most of my 150 or so feeds I read regularly (there are more that I only glance at now and then) are focused on mobile technology, but there are still some that I think would be of interest. I don’t read as many personal blogs as I should, but there are quite a few one-man shows that I enjoy, and even non-commercial group blogs that come in very useful.

So without further ado, here are five blogs not already on Kent’s list that I think he, and others, might enjoy:

• Blogging Pro
  Lots of news and tips for personal bloggers and pros alike
• D’Arcy Norman
  Works at the University of Calgary, has an interesting insight on the education scene and internet trends in general
• Daily Cup of Tech
  Timothy Fehlman’s blog, full of freeware and really great guides to doing fun things with technology
• UNEASYsilence
  “Observing the unobserved,” full of interesting little bits and pieces on all sorts of topics
• PaulStamatiou.com
  Young blogger from Georgia Tech, interesting insights and reviews

I have tried to steer away from the larger, professional blogs in favor of the smaller outfits. Also, I mainly subscribe to technology feeds, which may have limited appeal to some. Hopefully someone will get something out of that lot though.

Remember, my main reading list is always available in OPML format here, and a rotating selection of links from that list that refreshes every ten minutes appears in my sidebar.

Save for a couple of hours this morning, I’ve just emerged from bed for the first time today (it is getting late at night here) due to a nasty chest infection and head cold. Now my wonderful other half has hurt her back at work – seems there is no luck for us today. Consider this my formal apology to my editor for the lack of work today and more than likely tomorrow morning should this keep up. I promise I’ve got some stuff in the works.

Update: To make matters worse, I’ve been dealing with Conjunctivitis in both eyes for the last few days. Great…

I don’t know how it is in other countries, but here in Australia there is a general uproar over the closure of a lot of bank branches, especially in rural areas. It is not limited to just one bank, either, all of the banks have come under fire for branch closures. While the case is probably very different in more remote areas, living in the city I don’t actually have a problem with not having bank branches.

Personally, I hardly ever have the need to go into a bank branch. The last time I found myself in a bank was to sign the papers for my car loan over a year and a half ago. ATMs and EFTPOS serve me very well for withdrawals and deposits, and I use internet banking for bill payments and other monetary transfer needs. I would be more than happy to have lower bank fees in exchange for not having a branch nearby to go to.

ING have its ING Direct banking service here, wherein there are no branches and all transactions to and from the account are electronic, but it is only for savings accounts – no ATM card. I think there could be a market for a purely electronic banking account, but so far I have not seen it from any of the banks here. I don’t know what the situation in other countries is, but I really wish someone would capitalize on it in Australia.

I guess there will always be the need for bank branches, mainly for business banking and for people in more remote locations, but for my needs I would be more than happy to have an electronic-only account.

Readers from the US may not know what a Christmas cracker (or bonbon) is, so have a quick read here if you are confused. In any event, here is a list, in no particular order, of some of the terrible jokes that came out of my family’s Christmas lunch crackers this year:

• Q: Why are giraffes so slow to apologize?
  A: It takes them a long time to swallow their pride.
• Q: What two fish are needed to make a shoe?
  A: A sole and an eel
• Q: Why did the boy blush when he opened the fridge?
  A: He saw the salad dressing.
• Q: How can you tell which spiders are the trendiest?
  A: They have their own websites.
• Q: What button won’t you find in a tailor’s shop?
  A: A belly button.
• Q: What do you get when you cross a lighthouse and a chicken coop?
  A: Beacon and eggs.

Bah-dum cha!

Turns out I backed the winner in the Melbourne Cup (Australia’s biggest horse race). Delta Blues paid 18:1, so I walk away with quite a winning. Looks like my luck is finally coming back!

I hit the Australian International Motor Show (AIMS) over the weekend. While it wasn’t as spectacular as previous years, I still enjoyed it. You can see photos I took either in the gallery on this site, or over on Flickr.

[Update: Thanks Kent and Richard. Keep it coming!]

[Update 2: Jenith (a former MobileBurn employee and fellow Australian) weighs in, as does James Kendrick.]

Today is a travel day, as Ze Frank would say, and while packing up for the impending journey I am faced with the decision of what gadgets to take with me. It’s only the essentials that are coming this time, so the list includes:

1. HP dv2040XT notebook computer
2. Nokia N73 smartphone
3. Motorola MOTOKRZR K1
4. Sandisk Cruzer Titanium thumb drive
5. HP iPAQ h1940 PDA in a GPS car holder for directions
6. Sony CyberShot DSC-W7 digital camera
7. mVox MV900 Bluetooth speakerphone for in the car
8. Assorted memory cards, cables, and chargers for the above

Sitting the trip out that would otherwise be coming is the iMate JAQ I will be reviewing, for the simple reason that it hasn’t arrived yet.

So, if you’re reading this, I would be very interested to hear what gadgets you take with you on a trip. Let’s try and start a meme: post your travel gadgets list to your blog, and be sure to ping me so I can find you. Kent Newsome, Robert Scoble, Richard Querin – I’m looking at you!

I’ve had this desk for maybe two months, tops, and I’m already wearing away the finish where my mouse travels. Symptoms of a person that works from home, I guess…

(photo taken with the Nokia N73)

I have been a long time reader of Kent Newsome’s blog, since before he climbed to the influential position he is in now (yes Kent, I think you’re influential), and sometimes he pops up with a post that really makes me smile.

Kent, thanks for making me a part of your Mock Opera. True, I don’t blog too much these days, but as Richard and I discussed – if it takes two weeks to have something great to blog about hit you, then that’s just fine.