I just received a message from an old school friend, Miriam. She managed to go to the Pates Reunion this year, and seemed to enjoy herself there. Anyway, hopefully we will be able to meet up after my trip to Amsterdam, though I don’t yet know if it will be in Cheltenham or Clydach. Combined with meeting up with Alex and ChrisD in Amsterdam, and hopefully seeing a few other friends in Cheltenham, it looks like I will be pretty busy. It was really good to hear from her, and I hope we manage to catch up with each other lives soon.
Aug 06 2007
Completed Our Amsterdam Map
I have now finished creating a suitable map to use with the GPS Tuner application I mentioned previously. With the three calibration points configured, and the best points of interest discovered and precisely located via Google Earth, Alex, ChrisD and I should all be able to get to anywhere we need no matter what time of day, nor our alcohol intake levels 🙂 I also installed the Google Earth application yesterday on the in-laws PC; they seemed to enjoy finding all the major buildings and areas here in Kazakhstan, and Ira’s mum was able to check out the village she grew up in, over in Moscow!
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Aug 04 2007
Hotels That Charge By The Hour
and I am referring to Amsterdam! So, is this post going to be on the Red Light District?
NO. Instead I wanted to mention that Schiphol airport is to open a hotel, placed BEYOND the security and passport check areas. Rather than rushing to the airport, just to find no queues at check in etc, or indeed the opposite, assuming that 1 hour will be enough to actually get to your gate, you can simply arrive early, get air side, and then relax in a hotel, safe in the knowledge that when your flight is called, you simply have to wander on over.
This will also be useful for people who want to be refreshed, mis-journey. As Amsterdam’s Schihpol airport is a hub, with many airlines using it to ferry passengers onto their final destinations, I can see this hotel getting a fair amount of business.
London’s Gatwick airport already has one of these ‘Yotel’s (if someone could let me know why that name, I’d be greatful), and this will in fact be the 3rd in the entire world.
So, sorry to disappoint anyone expecting something seedy, I hope you aren’t too upset.
My thanks to Puffin13 over at the ACD forums for bringing this fact to my attention.
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Aug 03 2007
PDA App #5 – GPS Tuner
So, now we are moving onto the software with navigational uses. Although I have an old version of TomTom, I was interested just what would be possible to achieve, focusing on walking around, rather than being in a car. Of course a walker could use TomTom to get from A to B, but as I will be testing this in Amsterdam, crossing canals on a pedestrian bridge, one way streets, and entire pedestrianized zone would definitely throw a spanner in the works, if I were to rely on TomTom entirely.
I am currently collating information on the places that Alex, ChrisD and I want to visit, mainly their Latitude and Longitude. Combined with map I am creating, I hope to have at the very least a good indication of which direction we should walk, and roughly how far away the next stop is. Actually I need to check previous posts re. the map, I’ll post more on it later if I haven’t already bored you 🙂
Anyway, there are a lot of configuration options, enough to make me think I should probably even read the GPS Tuner manual before the trip!
Aug 02 2007
PDA App #3 – PocketNav
When my iPaq had to be hard reset last week, I took the opportunity to try out some alternative applications that I’d previously downloaded, but not got around to testing just yet. One of these was PocketNav. Unlike the two previous pieces of software I mentioned, this has nothing to do with travel, WiFI or GPS; instead it is a task switcher/ender replacement system. One of the problems with my 2210 is there is not much memory left for day to day usage, after the bare minimum has been installed to the internal storage section. (Unlike more recent Windows Mobile 5 powered PDAs, one block of RAM is dynamically split between storage and system.) I install as much as possible to the SD card, however some utilities are required before the OS can access external memory cards, and others are simply too slow to be stored anywhere other than the faster internal memory. Newer models have non-volatile memory specifically for program storage, which has the added benefit of the PDA not losing all its configuration if the battery should completely die.
Anyway I digress, apologies; one problem with closing programs on a PDA is that although they dissappear from the screen, they still reside in the memory. The reason for this approach is that when you next need to use the program, it is already present in memory, and therefore is almost instantaneously presented to the user. As is often the case with my digital accessories, I prefer to retain a little more control (if something works, it only proves you haven’t tweaked it enough 😉 ) over how they operate. PocketNav provides a way to permanently close applications that you do not want to stay resident; you then have more memory instantly available for the other programs you do want to keep or start running. PocketNav places a shortcut icon next to the clock in the top right corner, from which you can access a list of the programs/windows currently in memory. This also provides a simple task switcher. If my hardware buttons were not already re-assigned to directional duties (my d-pad no longer works) I could simply use the iTask app that Hewlett Packard install as standard to switch apps, however, previous to installing PcoketNav I had to return to the desired program’s shortcut to bring it to the foreground again.
One thing I noticed is that the shortcut icon disappeared when some programs covered it, however selecting the Windows Mobile 2002 style of shortcut icon bypassed this issue.
Anyway, I’ll report back on how things went after Amsterdam, when I will get a chance to test this program ‘in the field’ in more real life like conditions.
Once more this post is not sponsored, nor are there any affiliate links, I just hope someone finds the information useful.
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Aug 01 2007
More Apps For Amsterdam – WiFiFoFum
This application is specifically for PDAs (Windows based) with WiFi capabilities – be it built in or, as in my case, a Compact Flash card. Although there are several WiFi detection applications already available, this one caught my eyes with its combination of simplicity and versatility. OK, and the fact that you get a geeky looking radar as one possible view swung my vote as well 🙂
If you combine WiFiFoFum with a GPS unit, the accuracy of where the WiFi access point (AP) is located is a lot more accurate. So why should you care? Well if you are in a town without your own private internet connection, it is useful to know where there are unencrypted WiFi signals you can use to access the web. When there are multiple possibilities, it makes sense to use the strongest signal, and in the case of Amsterdam, to know you can relax in a cafe somewhere, rather than be perched on a bench, exposed to the elements.
I’ve not been able to test the GPS functionality just yet over here in Kazakhstan, but once more, I’ll make a more in depth review around October time hopefully.
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Aug 01 2007
Loading Up On Software For Amsterdam – Metro
I am hoping that some of the following titles I discovered will help this blog’s readers with future holidays – none of the links are sponsored, and I will give fuller feedback once I have actually used them all in real life situations…
Anyway, onto the first program – Metro
The concept is simple, and from a couple of test runs, the execution is equally as simple. For most of the major cities around the world, this program has an (updatable) database of the underground trains, trams and other public transport. So, you can enter in where you are, where you want to get to, and the program is set to tell you the quickest way to get there (as in which service, and where to change, if needed), as well as the most direct.
I have downloaded the programs for my Windows based Smartphone and PDA, and they use the same database. This should definitely make life easier in Amsterdam especially, where you can walk to most places, but trams are quicker; you just need to make sure you are getting the right one 😉
I’ll be adding more to this post in the next few weeks hopefully, when I get a chance to check what else is available.
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Aug 01 2007
Plus One On The Amsterdam Trip
Sadly, it isn’t Irina who can now come, but instead AlexC is now coming as well. Let me rephrase that… I’m sad Ira can’t come, but happy that Alex is coming. I hope that is a little clearer?
Now there are three people, I’m hoping at least one of us will remember how to get back to the apartment at all times, if my GPS, PDA and Smartphone batteries all die by the end of each day 🙂
Hopefully either she or I will be updating our blogs whilst out there – worst case scenario is we write posts when we return to Britain, but I’m hoping to at least make some sort of draft notes each day, in case my memory gets too hazy.
Jul 30 2007
iPAQ Issues
I previously mentioned that a trip to Amsterdam has been planned, so I have been loading up my PDA with useful software.
Or rather I tried to. Unfortunately, it has a dodgy internal connection (or eleven or twelve); the control pad does not work, and the ability to sync is also an issue.
The first problem I have bodged by re-assigning my hardware buttons as left, right, up and down. However the second issue requires me to repeatedly slot the iPAQ into it’s cradle, until ActiveSync starts playing ball at both ends…
Anyway, I’m still playing with TomTom, trying to get a Netherlands map installed, but I at least have the basics covered with GPS, so should ChrisD and I find ourselves lost next to a random canal, I will at least be able to say with some confidence that we need to walk in a certain direction for 1250 metres to get back to our apartment 😉
Right I’m off to find out what else (software wise) can be put to good use; I also need to keep an eye on power requirements as the 2210’s battery has definitely seen better days.
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Jul 27 2007
Trip Planned
Unfortunately, ChrisD is not able to make it over to Kazakhstan this year. On the plus side, I am meeting him in Amsterdam for a few days of relaxation, and then travelling onto Britain to see family and friends. (My brother’s birthday is something I was hoping to get back to the UK for, and now it is sorted 🙂 .) Unfortunately Irina does not have enough holiday left to come as well, but we will all be back in Britain around Christmas time.
Anyway, my travel details are as follows :-
Leaving Astana 21st September 08:50
Arrive Kaliningrad 21st September 11:00
Leave Kaliningrad 21st September 12:50
Arrive Amsterdam 21st September 13:55
Spend 3 nights in Amsterdam, at an apartment with a view of the canal, that belongs to the Hotel Amstelzicht.
Then on to Britain…
Leave Amsterdam 24th September 18:20
Arrive Birmingham 24th September 18:40
3 and a bit weeks in Britain to say hello to family and friends. Hopefully fit in Evesham and Cheltenham, then Swansea (well Clydach actually), then down to Falmouth for my bro’s birthday.
Then…
Leave Birmingham 16th October 06:25
Arrive Schipol 16th October 08:50
Leave Schipol 16th October 16:15
Arrive Kaliningrad 16th October 19:15
Leave Kaliningrad 16th October 21:35
Arrive Astana 17th October 05:15
(All times are local)
I am going to miss Ira like crazy, but I am looking forward to the break immensely, and it will be really good to see Nick, Mum, John, Dad, Jan and some Cheltenham friends as well.
Pink Badger
Why that random phrase? One of the main reasons I am posting this flight information is so that if family want to know the details, or I am not at home, I or they can just search for a unique (I’m pretty sure I did not include it anywhere else 😉 ) phrase on this blog, and know they have the right post immediately.
You never know, perhaps pink badger is also a popular search engine search term, and I will increase this site’s traffic…. Not too likely though.
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