Brisbane transport activity video

I saw this video on the Brisbane Times website on Friday (but have been unable to upload it until now due to internet issues, & have now had to link to their youtube page) as a transportation geek found it rather intriguing.

A Canadian IT company (STLTransit) used Translink data to compile this video which uses dots of light to represent translink services operated by the many different bus companies as well as Queensland Rail trains. 

This video provides a great insight into how public transport operates across the translink region and shows just how busy it is in and out of Brisbane during peak hour

365 days left for XP

Its an image that is iconic to many, something a lot of people still see on a day by day basis - the windows XP load screen.  Its also something that will become rarer and rarer over the next year with Microsoft announcing they will no longer support Windows XP after 08/04/14.

One year from today, the world's most popular PC operating system, Windows XP, will no longer be supported by Microsoft.
As of April 8, 2014, the software vendor will no longer provide security patches or other updates to the software.

This could prove to be a problem for many as XP is still a well loved and widely used operating system around Australia, New Zealand and the world, with many programs and scripts still built to use its infrastructure.

This of course will be a huge bonus to programmers and developers who will see a windfall of companies who need programs that have been created for their company rewritten to use the Windows 7 platform, and you can expect there to be big delays in getting your custom program or script updated as the large numbers who still use and rely on XP suddenly clammer to get everything migrated across to Windows 7 before its too late.

Read more about the end for XP from itnewswire HERE

Fast food Apps

Something caught my eye in this morning's email from ARN - one of their 'In Pictures' series looking at fast food apps and how they are changing the face of fast food.

They began with the new Macca's app (McDonalds Australia) which is called track my macca's - which takes users on a tour of the origins of the ingredients of 8 different products following the supply chain from farm to macca's.

The app then translates data from Macca's supply chain systems about farms, suppliers, ingredients, date, time, weather, location and other variables into an animation that incorporates the faces and voices of real farmers. The text and visuals are wry and informative. "We were very conscious of being entertaining in an adult way," says Shamini Nair, head of digital business for McDonald's Australia. "The Simpsons was the inspiration."

Screenshots of the Track My Macca's app

Other fast food restaurants in Australia have had mobile apps for a while including Pizza Hut, Dominos, Eagle Boys & Hungry Jacks.  But it is probably time some other restaurants jumped onto the bandwagon and offered a mobile app.

Have a look at the ARN top 10 HERE which lists a lot of the offering from overseas including Burger King's app which lets you order home delivery in the USA!