I received several copies of this email from Apple, and clearly there is a disconnect between my idea of appropriate Valentines day gifting behaviour and Apple’s: I understand flowers, I understand dinner, and even a small gift, but isn’t a $349 iPod Touch raising the bar just a little too far? It’s also not going …
Author Archives: Lance Wiggs
Up the river
Rowan’s put a few photos up as well – we spent a great day on the Whanganui river yesterday. I’ve enjoyed the river road for years, but this was the first time on the river itself. For me one it is now one of the iconic New Zealand destinations. Click on the pictures for larger …
Oh Telecom XT – you were doing so well
Pathetic. It’s time for an update to the Telecom XT network map. From the communications I can glean that the latest map looks something like this: Spotty means you can’t guarantee that you’ll be able to hold on to a call for very long, or that your phone will even work. <update – Chris Quin …
Is there a point to NZEdge?
I struggle with NZEdge. They mean well for New Zealand, but I often feel they are disconnected from reality. It’s owned/run by Brian Sweeney and Kevin Roberts, but it seems to be operated as a one man band by Brian. Both Brian and Kevin are in the advertising and communications game, and this effort is …
My take on the Apple iPad
Everybody seems to have written about the iPad. So here is my take: 1: I will get one. 2: I’m not sure whether to get the wifi model when it comes out in March in the USA or to wait for the 3G model. Or both. 3: I have an iPhone, and iPod touch, a …
Locking in customers with Xero and Heaps
It seems to be an emerging meme – comments in the post about Kiwibank’s Heaps and BNZ’s Xero Personal are worried that banks will create lock-in using personal financial management products. This comment is typical: Ben Lilley January 28, 2010 at 1:50 pm I really hope banks aren’t going to start using tools like Xero …
No cheques sorry L V Martin
Dear L V Martin & Sons Hi I’d really like to pay your invoice. Unfortunately I don’t have a cheque book – not for years now. Please put on your invoice at least one alternative method of payment. Many thanks Frustrated of Wellington P.S. It would have been better if you’d actually fixed my dish …
New BNZ banking system is coming
Internet Banking Login, originally uploaded by LanceWiggs. It looks like BNZ is creaking forward into the modern era with a new banking homepage. Of interest is not so much the re-skin, but the “We’ll be adding great new features to internet banking”. That would be Xero personal I hope.
How to win customers back – the 4 difficult steps
How long does it take to bring back a customer that has had a series of bad experiences? And what do you need to do to get them back? In Simon Grigg‘s case – about 8 years, and a heck of a lot. Let’s look at the lessons learned, and I’m also going to draw …
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Why is the Kindle sold in Zimbabwe, East Timor but not New Zealand?
I’ve written before about Apple’s poor attention to international people – those that travel and live in multiple countries. It’s one of the reasons that I am trying not to get too excited about the forthcoming tablet. The tablet appears to be aiming at bringing media to your knees – meaning books, movies and games …
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Enrolling in Budget’s Fastbreak is Easy!
Actually – No – it is not. Making people print out a PDF and mail it back to you to register is no longer acceptable. It has not been acceptable for years. Avis does a bit better, as does Hertz. However although it appears online sign-up to their programs is possible, they each have intimidatingly …
Sikuli Script
Project SIKULI, originally uploaded by LanceWiggs. Cool – here is a really simple way to write scripts – for OSX, Windows or Linux. (Download.) From MIT comes Sikuli script, where you just take screenshots of the buttons that you want the script to click. The picture above is of the resulting script – with those …
The Independent makes me mad
Each week I read The Independent, and each week some articles in it make me mad. This week I’m writing about it. Sadly none of the articles are online yet. Air New Zealand and the Commerce Commisson The News The Commerce Commission is bringing criminal charges against Air New Zealand for price fixing. It all …
That’s why I chose Yale
Amazing. Could any institution in New Zealand dream of doing something like this? They walk the line between sincere cheese and self deprecating irony beautifully.
Leave me alone Gareth Morgan
Well done GMI. If you follow a recent advertisement for Gareth Morgan Investments and do the 10 Second test promo (five questions), click on “I’m not convinced – Tell me more” then you’ll get the screen above “Leave me alone” is a wonderful way to acknowledge that this was a promotion, that we are all …
Lance Wiggs 