David Bishop

So I have noticed that this subject has got me many brownie points with Google so i thought I’d blog about it again, this time after using MobileNavigator a few times and also playing around briefly with TomTom.

On the whole I’m pretty happy with MobileNavigator, the only thing, I suppose, that annoys me a little is how it doesn’t take the full post code (bit like a zip code but more precise I think) which can be annoying if you don’t know the street you’re going to. But having said that it’s not really been an issue like I thought it would.

The interface is nice to use, it’s got a good database of services, restaurants, garages, pubs, shops, etc etc, and allows you to find the nearest one during a journey.

They have also recently provided a free update that gives us text to speech voice guidance, automatic day and night (not sure I understand the point of day and night modes though full stop…), integrated ipod control and the ability to send your location via email.

Overall I think it was a good purchase, nice to use, gets you from a to b and was cheaper then TomTom. I’ve not really used the TomTom much so I suppose not a totally fair review, friends who have it seem to like it. Don’t think the interface is as clear though I have to say!

No Comments | In: Review | tags: iPhone, MobileNavigator, Navigon, Sat Nav, TomTom. | #

I have been mulling this over in my head a lately, trying to decide what to get (TomTom or MobileNavigator for iPhone). Well today I came to a conclusion, MobileNavigator! I am downloading it as I write this!

Largly helped by the following article on Gizmodo

I think the main points to conclude from this is that firstly until the 31st of Augest 2009 MobileNavigator is on sale, then it goes back to the same price as Tom Tom. So wins on that.

Maps wise, the engines under both bits of software are identical and are both updated adequately.

In fact on almost everything there probably as good as each other!

So for me as there really wasn’t anything in it I decided well I might as well go for what’s cheaper and secondly the screnshots make MobileNavigator look like a nicer application to use, Tom Tom seems a bit ugly to me.

Of course I’ve not used it yet so I might have made a terriable mistake! I should be off the Cambridge on the 3rd of September for SENS4 so that will be it’s real world test!

Price wise the UK version of MobileNavigator isn’t on sale, but the European version is (including UK) which brings it down to the same price as the Tom Tom UK only (£59 I think). The Tom Tom Europe is £78, so a reasonable saving.

Tom Tom is meant to be bringing out a special car kit also, which sounds like it’ll be expensive. I found an in car charger for £1.25 on Amazon and a Holder for £7 so that’ll do! You will need a holder btw unless you have a death wise and battery wise it’ll brick your iphone in an hour, so keep it plugged in!

No Comments | In: Media, Review | tags: iPhone, MobileNavigator, Sat Nav, TomTom. | #

I’ve been reading a very interesting book, on and off, I am a bad reader of books! I read articles and such but I don’t seem to get round to reading books much. Which I should do because a book can give you a better depth of understanding. Anyway ‘Live Working, Die Fighting: How The Working Class Went Global’ By Paul Mason is a history of different Labour movements throughout time and paralleling it to struggles of today, mostly in the Neo Colonial worlds of today.

The book starts by summarising the fall of Labour movements of the last thirty years. The Neo Liberal Agenda has very effectively derailed Labour Movements by out sourcing to less developed nations. By doing this they have not just destroyed our industries but have destroyed a lot the great labour networks that had been formed in the industrial nations. Such as, before parents would pass down the importance of Unions and such that doesn’t happen anymore. Or the great fear and propaganda that was installed into people when the Soviet Union feel, falsely connecting that to Labour movements in western nations.

A very important point the book makes is how the workers tend to be a head of the Union Leaders in taking action and creating real change. The move from the bottom up instead of the top down is key in the success of a movements. Like now so many Union Leaders should be using their positions to address their members about seizing opportunities, taking action and saying no to the incredible injustices in society that have never been so clear in modern times. But they don’t, they seem content to sit back and fade into further obscurity!

In essences this book is the history that ‘they don’t want you to know’. Which is really true, why do you never hear about labour movements in the mainstream, there’s a business section on News programs and sites, but now industrial action section? Or in our history classes? When it has such a rich important history. And when we speak of history what do we look at? It’s the history of the ruling classes and the history of imperial empires and wars. And we are told this is are culture, no this is their cultural, this is the culture of a few that exploited us, the people. No this is not our history. Our history is opposing this throughout history in the face of fear and terror by the ruling classes. Yet we still have constant reminders in our society of it, we have a royal family!? The very essence of oppression!

In conclusion this is a very important book, there are so few books like this around today. As Ken Loach says ‘don’t die stupid, read this book’.

No Comments | In: Review | tags: Die Fighting How The Working Class Went Global, Live Working, Live Working Die Fighting, Live Working Die Fighting: How The Working Class Went Global, Paul Mason, Review. | #