3D EVERYTHING??

We are now used to having an enormous amount of data in our pockets.  The iPhone has boosted this enormously, and Android users are adopting GPS based mapping, location tweeting and facebook check-in's too.

I happen to think mapping related software is brilliant. I would, I use a high end Geographic Information System (GIS) almost every day in my work to visualise data and inspect options for putting together reports for my clients. It is often much better than Excel and pie or bar charts. Though those that know me, know I do like pork pies... oh, that sort of pie.. focus Polko..

Otuside of the world of work and expensive computers and software, it doesn’t matter where you are in the world a handheld GPS or phone can find stuff. Quickly. (except in one of Britain's many wi-fi/data blackspots of course!).

We are all used to Google maps on our notebooks, tablet PCs and desktops too. I also use these at work extensively, and have started to explore Bing maps as these seem to be a little better visually. Give it a go. See what you think. The 3D rendering on Google Maps and Google Earth are generally good – although sometimes the light makes for a poor photo and lack of clarity in tight city and town centre fly overs.

However, a new development by Apple is on its way - the new maps on the iPhone and pads etc will be available in 3D format. See the video here for an example, a video fly-through of Oslo. The 3D mapping has been created from fusing satellite data, photographs and - it being Apple - some head-working crazy algorithms for height and depth information.



So, for those that are looking for the next big thing to show off to friends, or those who can't quite read a flat map (and there are too many of you out there!!!), you don't have long to wait before Apple gives you another helping hand.  I'm sure Google will follow very quickly.

BE CAREFUL OUT THERE..

Everybody is aware of personal security when they approach a cash machine these days, perhaps less so when loading the car with groceries at the supermarket or returning to your vehicle in a car park after hours.

But most people use common sense and are prompted by the environment (dark corners, late night car parks) and remain safe. In the cosy surroundings of your home or bed though, things are a little different.

Once you logon to facebook and chat away with friends you loosen up a little. Everybody does. It's natural. So the helpful Veracode blog came up with this brilliant web security infographic..



Infographic by Veracode Application Security

IF AT FIRST..

Having had a fair few disappointments in business over the past few months (pain of the recession kicking in?) I thought I'd share a post I just read on the Virgin site.
A Blog posting about how to keep going in the face of adversity, keep batting away and as the post reminded me - the words of one great ice hockey player (Wayne Gretzky) - "You always miss 100% of the shots you don’t take."

Here's the link - Virgin Blog on Picking Yourself Up

Those who know me know that I am usually a confident person and full of the joys of spring and business. I relish a challenge.  Strange though, recently I've found myself searching for inspiration and feeling as if I need to radically change direction. It must be my age or the lack of real hunger to get out there and get the contracts in.. Whatever, I like the blog's phrase, "put on your big boy/girl pants and try again!"

A few other phrases stood out in today's reading;
Failure is only temporary
View "blips in your time-line as character-strengthening hiccups" (bit of a mouthful but too true!
Tomorrow really is another day - literally and metaphorically

So, with all this in mind I just emailed out to a few clients that have chosen others and not me recently. There are always new avenues to explore, even with the few that have said no in the past.

Mind you, if they come back and say no again then I'll have to take a different approach? Off to research light machine guns and Improvised Explosive Devices. Perhaps I'll become the next Al Capone of the consultancy world...

tongue firmly in cheek.. til next time..

INTELLIGENT MONITORING NETWORK..

Like everyone else my google mail account receives Spam from time to time and I forget
about it (Google filters do a good enough job of it all being dumped into the Spam folder)
until it's time to do a bit of cleaning of the mail account.


Today I was looking for a holiday booking and thought it might have 'gone to Spam' by
mistake so checked the folder. No booking confirmation (next job is to phone the company!)
but I noticed a brilliant Subject Title on a spam mail.


It said (and in everything that follows I'll cut and paste in large red font,
leaving in all the sp. errors and mistakes as it makes for great reading);


FBI CONTACT THE PAYING BANK NOW REGARDING YOUR FUND


From the FBI no less! Cool. Polko is a friend of the FBI.


The email went on to explain how;
We the Federal Bureau Of Investigation (FBI Honolulu) United States Of America have discovered through our intelligent monitoring network that you have a transaction n going on as either inheritance payment,Lottery or contract payment in a tone of Millions of United States Dollars which have been approved but have not been settled.


Even better - millions of dollars!


Then they suggested;
we have been having so many complains from people who have been scammed around the world hence, after concluding in a meeting with members of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), we came to a conclusion that every payment will be made through the SKYE BANK OF NIGERIA (SKYB).


The Skye Bank no less. And in Nigeria. How convenient for me. The keen reader of this blog will know how Polko always does his international banking with Nigerian companies?!


All I have to do apparently is give them my name and address, all my details,
my age, sex and occupation and - of course - my passport number...


Then they are going to sort out the mess about the millions of dollars and;
your funds will be loaded in TWO BATCHES into an ATM card,and sent to you, from this card you can withdraw a maximum of us$10,000 per day from any ATM machine worldwide, BUT from the financial houses there is no limit.


I can't wait for that golden card to drop through the letterbox.
Then I can start hitting my local cash machine for US$10K a day...


Wait a minute, the email seems to come from E-@hotmail.com
Surely hotmail is not the FBI's main email address domain? I never knew that?!


Must be part of their 'Intelligent Monitoring Network'?


ho hum.. on with the day job..