Must have software part 2
Some more applications I can’t live without below:
1. Google Earth (Windows and Mac)
This is my first app in my ‘too good to be true (and free) category’. I don’t think there’s anyone left on the internet that hasn’t got this yet, but it’s still worth mentioning.
Recently on Australia Day Google did a flyover with planes over Sydney to update the Google maps, resulting in much clearer images, and now we also have Google map data integrated as well. So if you know my address (which I won’t be publishing here on the net), then you can look up my house, and also directions to get to my house. You can even see my table and chairs in the courtyard. V.Cool. Try searching ‘Sydney opera house’ in Google earth for a sampler of how this works.
A geek note - Maybe for an average user it’s just a cool looking app. But this app requires astounding amounts of smarts and bandwidth on server and client side. I don’t even understand half of what’s required to pull this off, but just considering the image management/mapping side and sheer bandwidth required to make this app possible blows my mind - I just can’t help but be amazed how well it works on zoom from country to street level. And the fact that’s it’s free and accessible to all on the net is just outstanding. “Hats off’ to google. Spectacular app, good job.
2. Skype (Windows and Mac).
Another app in the ‘too good to be true (and free)’ category.
Free phone calls between skype users anywhere in the world, free messaging and no annoying adds to endure. It’s just too easy, I’m always trying to persuade my friends and family onto it.
The only problems I’ve found are that on low bandwidth connections the sound is dodgy and only one person can speak at once, sometimes there is a delay. But mostly I’ve only found this with China where the internet is filtered and slowed down by the great firewall of china. I’ve tested one to one calls for users in Australia, Singapore, South Korea, USA and India and I’ve found the voice quite usable, as long as you have a fast connection. Don’t try conference calls on Skype - add more than two users and the quality degrades so much you can’t use it. You should have a solid 512kbps speed connection or more. If you’re on a 256kbps connection you can do it, but it will be very very annoying and drop out.
Monday, 16 April 2007