Australia’s internet providers are ditching email, to the disgust of older customers: But maybe it's a good thing actually
vor 1 Jahr
I'd long ago ditched using my own ISP's e-mail service for exactly the reasons given in the linked article. I know it was a freebie, but it ties you into that provider, and it is a major pain to change 500+ logins elsewhere (another good reason why we should be allowed to use login IDs instead of e-mail addresses). The days of having only 5 or 10 services to log in to, are long gone.
Yes one "could" move to Gmail (or similar) but the thing is Google does mine that data (I know it won't worry many people) and Google has also shown it is not always interested in keeping a service going forever. A free Gmail account forces you to use their domain name, as a custom domain name will require the paid Gmail service. So, for a free account you are now tied to Gmail, have your mails mined, and would have to go through lots of pain to move again in the future. If you don't like Google, GMX is another good option for free e-mail without a custom domain name.
E-mail redirectors also pose a similar problem because I used Bigfoot for many years for this, but then they also shut down.
You could also host your own e-mail server, but that takes technical knowledge and some cost of either hardware or hosting costs anyway, and you run the risk of being an untrusted mail domain. Most average users are not going to opt to go this route.
What does not shut down though is one's own domain name. My domain name costs me about US$7.70 per year. I can use that for a website if I wish, but also for e-mail. That e-mail address will never change as long as I keep paying the annual fee for the domain name. The domain name can point to any other e-mail service, no matter how often you change your actual e-mail provider service. The ONLY proviso for this is that you must choose an e-mail provider that allows the use of a "custom domain name". What does frequently come with this, unfortunately, is that it is typically only paid e-mail services that allow you to use your own custom domain names. Still, e-mail as a service is not very expensive, and if you are a business, this is really important for branding and consistency anyway. I was already paying for Proton VPN, and to upgrade to use their free e-mail with a custom domain name and 500 GB of space, cost me around US$3 per month extra (and that now also gives me fully encrypted and digitally signed e-mails).
But something worth otherwise considering is checking with your domain name provider too. Mine actually offers an e-mail service for about US$1.90 per month. You can always move to a different e-mail service later on, as you still have your own domain name, and there is no need to update your e-mail address anywhere else again.
Although paid e-mail does cost a little money per month, one perk you do often get is multiple e-mail addresses, so you could also consider sharing with trusted family members where you could have their first name as the address, and use your family name as the domain name.
In summary, if your mail service is completely free you are probably the product of that service (either through data mining, lock-in without a custom domain name choice, forced to use webmail login, restricted storage space, tied to another service you have to pay for, etc). Similarly, if you go with a custom domain name e-mail service, you will probably have to pay a bit and go through an initial setup, but usually your e-mail is being left alone by the provider, and you can switch at any time with nearly zero interruption or notification changes to anyone. It's worth thinking about.
See Australia’s internet providers are ditching email, to the disgust of older customers
#technology #email #Australia
Yes one "could" move to Gmail (or similar) but the thing is Google does mine that data (I know it won't worry many people) and Google has also shown it is not always interested in keeping a service going forever. A free Gmail account forces you to use their domain name, as a custom domain name will require the paid Gmail service. So, for a free account you are now tied to Gmail, have your mails mined, and would have to go through lots of pain to move again in the future. If you don't like Google, GMX is another good option for free e-mail without a custom domain name.
E-mail redirectors also pose a similar problem because I used Bigfoot for many years for this, but then they also shut down.
You could also host your own e-mail server, but that takes technical knowledge and some cost of either hardware or hosting costs anyway, and you run the risk of being an untrusted mail domain. Most average users are not going to opt to go this route.
What does not shut down though is one's own domain name. My domain name costs me about US$7.70 per year. I can use that for a website if I wish, but also for e-mail. That e-mail address will never change as long as I keep paying the annual fee for the domain name. The domain name can point to any other e-mail service, no matter how often you change your actual e-mail provider service. The ONLY proviso for this is that you must choose an e-mail provider that allows the use of a "custom domain name". What does frequently come with this, unfortunately, is that it is typically only paid e-mail services that allow you to use your own custom domain names. Still, e-mail as a service is not very expensive, and if you are a business, this is really important for branding and consistency anyway. I was already paying for Proton VPN, and to upgrade to use their free e-mail with a custom domain name and 500 GB of space, cost me around US$3 per month extra (and that now also gives me fully encrypted and digitally signed e-mails).
But something worth otherwise considering is checking with your domain name provider too. Mine actually offers an e-mail service for about US$1.90 per month. You can always move to a different e-mail service later on, as you still have your own domain name, and there is no need to update your e-mail address anywhere else again.
Although paid e-mail does cost a little money per month, one perk you do often get is multiple e-mail addresses, so you could also consider sharing with trusted family members where you could have their first name as the address, and use your family name as the domain name.
In summary, if your mail service is completely free you are probably the product of that service (either through data mining, lock-in without a custom domain name choice, forced to use webmail login, restricted storage space, tied to another service you have to pay for, etc). Similarly, if you go with a custom domain name e-mail service, you will probably have to pay a bit and go through an initial setup, but usually your e-mail is being left alone by the provider, and you can switch at any time with nearly zero interruption or notification changes to anyone. It's worth thinking about.
See Australia’s internet providers are ditching email, to the disgust of older customers
As internet service providers such as Telstra and TPG curtail their email accounts, customers from older generations are facing a difficult shift
#technology #email #Australia
Barossa Valley Vineyard In South Australia Showcases The Beauty Of Vehicle-To-Grid
vor 2 Jahren
Winemaker Joseph Evans used to have an annual electricity bill for his Barossa Valley vineyard, Ballycroft, that had risen to $6000. He then installed a rooftop solar system that powers his entire property during daylight hours, immediately removing $4000 from his annual electricity bill. He really wanted to reduce and even get rid of the remaining $2000 from his electricity bill. He has a Nissan LEAF, which is Vehicle-to-Grid capable (V2G). The Leaf is one of the few EVs in Australia that is V2G capable, along with the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross. He then jumped at the opportunity to have V2G incorporated in his setup at the vineyard.
Modern EVs have large batteries that are rarely depleted or even drained to less than 50% for most people’s daily commutes. Bi-directional charging allows EV users to charge their vehicles using solar during the day or the grid and then discharged as needed. With solar charging and then discharging during peak periods when the electricity prices from the grid are higher, V2G can significantly lower electricity bills and improve the business case for going electric. Well, Joseph didn’t just lower his electricity bill, through his rooftop solar and his V2G setup, he now earns about $50 per week from his power exports.
See Barossa Valley Vineyard In South Australia Showcases The Beauty of Vehicle-to-Grid
#technology #environment #V2G #Australia #Solar
Modern EVs have large batteries that are rarely depleted or even drained to less than 50% for most people’s daily commutes. Bi-directional charging allows EV users to charge their vehicles using solar during the day or the grid and then discharged as needed. With solar charging and then discharging during peak periods when the electricity prices from the grid are higher, V2G can significantly lower electricity bills and improve the business case for going electric. Well, Joseph didn’t just lower his electricity bill, through his rooftop solar and his V2G setup, he now earns about $50 per week from his power exports.
See Barossa Valley Vineyard In South Australia Showcases The Beauty of Vehicle-to-Grid
#technology #environment #V2G #Australia #Solar
Winemaker Joseph Evans used to have an annual electricity bill for his Barossa Valley vineyard, Ballycroft, that had risen to $6000. He then installed a rooftop solar system that powers his entire property during daylight hours, immediately removing $4000 from his annual electricity bill. He really wanted to reduce and even get rid of the […]
Simple and cheap "technology" to improve really weak cellular phone signals in remoter areas
vor 2 Jahren
Shows that really simple and cheap ideas can work quite well, and no batteries or maintenance required!
Watch
How Australia’s Most Remote Phone Booths Work
#technology #australia #mobile #weaksignal
Watch
How Australia’s Most Remote Phone Booths Work
#technology #australia #mobile #weaksignal
It’s hard to get mobile phone coverage across the Australian outback - this invention solves that. | Go to https://squarespace.com/julianoshea to get a free ...
vor 2 Jahren
very clever and simple
Danie van der Merwe
BYD Electric Vehicle Launch A Massive Success In Australia - While Electric Cars Still A Novelty In South Africa
vor 2 Jahren
Australia is one of South Africa's major export countries for right-hand drive vehicles, and Australia has a few EV models already in their market. The uptake has already started, whilst we now see across Europe that France, Italy, Germany, etc are already measuring new vehicle sales of more than 10% month on month going to electric cars.
Back in South Africa, no single electric vehicle has yet been manufactured for local or export use. The only imports of EVs are pretty expensive BMW, Audi's, Porches, etc that no-one but the rich can afford.
Yes, it is in part due to South Africa placing a higher import tax on EVs versus for combustion engines (is any other government in the world doing this?), but South Africa had been counting on an active manufacturing capability in the past to produce vehicles for the export market. It seems though too that assembling EVs is a lot simpler than for combustion engines, so even elsewhere in Africa this is starting to happen for EVs.
One just hopes that by the time South Africa has "geared" itself up for EV assembly or manufacture, that the wave has not passed us by. The tipping point for EV take up appears now to be as soon as 2023 or 2024 (MarketWatch, although Mahindra in India still projects from 2025 for Indian market), whereas before it had been projected from 2025. Seems to be sooner than later! The tipping point is considered to be 5% of new car sales, and to date 19 countries have already passed this point (InsiderIntelligence as at 13 Jul 2022).
See BYD Electric Vehicle Launch a Massive Success in Australia
#environment #EV #BYD #Australia #SouthAfrica
Back in South Africa, no single electric vehicle has yet been manufactured for local or export use. The only imports of EVs are pretty expensive BMW, Audi's, Porches, etc that no-one but the rich can afford.
Yes, it is in part due to South Africa placing a higher import tax on EVs versus for combustion engines (is any other government in the world doing this?), but South Africa had been counting on an active manufacturing capability in the past to produce vehicles for the export market. It seems though too that assembling EVs is a lot simpler than for combustion engines, so even elsewhere in Africa this is starting to happen for EVs.
One just hopes that by the time South Africa has "geared" itself up for EV assembly or manufacture, that the wave has not passed us by. The tipping point for EV take up appears now to be as soon as 2023 or 2024 (MarketWatch, although Mahindra in India still projects from 2025 for Indian market), whereas before it had been projected from 2025. Seems to be sooner than later! The tipping point is considered to be 5% of new car sales, and to date 19 countries have already passed this point (InsiderIntelligence as at 13 Jul 2022).
See BYD Electric Vehicle Launch a Massive Success in Australia
#environment #EV #BYD #Australia #SouthAfrica
Not since Tesla brought a Model 3 to Brisbane back in 2018 (prior to deliveries in 2019) have I seen such a crowd at the launch of an electric vehicle. BYD received 600 RSVPs to the launch at Indooroopilly’s Auto Mall in Brisbane. I think all of them were there on August 2nd. After the […]
Australian Capitol Territory Is The First State In Australia To Ban Conventional Cars As Of 2035
vor 2 Jahren
Elections have consequences. Nothing illustrates that more clearly than the abrupt about face taking place in Australia after voters moved the despicable Scott Morrison and his band of idiots into the spam file of history. Now the Australian Capitol Territory (ACT), where the national government is located, has announced that the sale of new cars and light trucks with internal combustion engines within the ACT will be prohibited beginning in 2035.
If that seems like a less than bold move, bear in mind that while ScoMo was in power, the official government position was that electric cars were the spawn of the devil created to rob Aussies of their God given right to enjoy the pleasures of the weekend.
What is really interesting to see, though, are also the various incentives that ACT offers not only to purchasers of new EVs, but even for 2nd hand one's. This contrasts sharply with the South African government, which imposes an even higher tax on EVs than on the import of combustion engines. Clearly, some governments are on board with renewable energy and cleaning the air for their citizens, whilst others are just not.
See ACT First State In Australia To Ban Conventional Cars
#environment #EV #Australia
If that seems like a less than bold move, bear in mind that while ScoMo was in power, the official government position was that electric cars were the spawn of the devil created to rob Aussies of their God given right to enjoy the pleasures of the weekend.
What is really interesting to see, though, are also the various incentives that ACT offers not only to purchasers of new EVs, but even for 2nd hand one's. This contrasts sharply with the South African government, which imposes an even higher tax on EVs than on the import of combustion engines. Clearly, some governments are on board with renewable energy and cleaning the air for their citizens, whilst others are just not.
See ACT First State In Australia To Ban Conventional Cars
#environment #EV #Australia
The new government of Australia will ban the sale of cars and light trucks with internal combustion engines in Canberra as of 2035.
New PerthChat (Australian) Lemmy decentralised social network is an example of where social networks should be
vor 3 Jahren
Lemmy is an open source alternative to Reddit, which has similar voting up and down of posts, threaded discussions about posts, and thriving communities.
But there are some key differences from Reddit, Facebook, and such older social networks:
- It's open source, so you can see how it works, or you can modify if you wish.
- It's decentralised, so does not exist in only one country. It's not a walled garden.
- Anyone can start up their own hosting instance if they wish to.
- It's interconnected between not only the different instances of Lemmy, but also with the Fediverse, so you can participate from a non-Lemmy network.
- Moderation rules can differ according to country or hoster. Often moderation actions are visible to end users.
- Feed algorithms are open and usually default to chronological order or popularity.
- You can view posts without logging in
- No adverts, no selling of user data, etc. They generally survive on donations, but which is why decentralisation is important, so that no single instance gets too large.
I see the Pertchat instance also says they are running a Matrix instance, and have bridged their Lemmy instance to both Discord and Telegram. Social networks are about exactly that, interconnecting! Anyone can sign up, so not just Australians, but Australians will be able to call this social network home, and to have a place to discuss uniquely Oz things like Koala bears, Kath and Kim, etc.
See PerthChat - The Perthchat Lemmy Instance
#technology #socialnetworks #alternativeto #lemmy #australia
But there are some key differences from Reddit, Facebook, and such older social networks:
- It's open source, so you can see how it works, or you can modify if you wish.
- It's decentralised, so does not exist in only one country. It's not a walled garden.
- Anyone can start up their own hosting instance if they wish to.
- It's interconnected between not only the different instances of Lemmy, but also with the Fediverse, so you can participate from a non-Lemmy network.
- Moderation rules can differ according to country or hoster. Often moderation actions are visible to end users.
- Feed algorithms are open and usually default to chronological order or popularity.
- You can view posts without logging in
- No adverts, no selling of user data, etc. They generally survive on donations, but which is why decentralisation is important, so that no single instance gets too large.
I see the Pertchat instance also says they are running a Matrix instance, and have bridged their Lemmy instance to both Discord and Telegram. Social networks are about exactly that, interconnecting! Anyone can sign up, so not just Australians, but Australians will be able to call this social network home, and to have a place to discuss uniquely Oz things like Koala bears, Kath and Kim, etc.
See PerthChat - The Perthchat Lemmy Instance
#technology #socialnetworks #alternativeto #lemmy #australia
Lemmy
Janus Electric in Australia have pioneered an amazing business to convert diesel trucks to electric, with 3-minute battery swap-outs
vor 3 Jahren
A diesel engine on average needs to be reconditioned every 10 years or 1.3 million kilometers. Instead of rebuilding an old diesel, Janus argues that it is cost-effective to replace it with an electric motor. Especially if you factor in the fuel savings (estimated at 50%) and the resale value of the used motor. And it can be done in a week.
Janus has thought through the issues in the trucking industry — time is money. You don’t have to wait for the truck to be charged, with swapping stations placed near trucking rest stops and timed to the drivers’ mandatory fatigue breaks, a battery can be swapped out conveniently. It takes 20 minutes to fuel up a big diesel. But it only takes 3 minutes to swap out the battery.
Which also suggests, because we have "standardised diesel" across truck brands, we should strive for standardised battery packs for the identical reason.
See Truckies Going Electric in Australia
#technology #environment #trucks #EV #australia
Janus has thought through the issues in the trucking industry — time is money. You don’t have to wait for the truck to be charged, with swapping stations placed near trucking rest stops and timed to the drivers’ mandatory fatigue breaks, a battery can be swapped out conveniently. It takes 20 minutes to fuel up a big diesel. But it only takes 3 minutes to swap out the battery.
Which also suggests, because we have "standardised diesel" across truck brands, we should strive for standardised battery packs for the identical reason.
See Truckies Going Electric in Australia
#technology #environment #trucks #EV #australia
Diesel ‘til I Die That might be the clarion call of truckers, but as Dylan said — the times, they are a changin’. Innovative entrepreneurs Bevan Doley and Lex Forsyth of Janus Electric in Australia have pioneered an amazing business to convert diesel trucks to electric and bring many benefits to the blue singlet brigade, […]