The totally off-topic thread

[Quickstatus]

They recommend that you don't use your phone while it is charging for safety reasons.

I use phone all the time while it's charging. It's not a Samsung so it's Ok. Mind you there are Samsung parts in iPhones
......

If you're interested in the Aldi unlimited plan it will be back on sale on 28 June.

How's the coverage? Cheap and Cheerful or Cheap and Nasty?

 

[Hvr]

I use phone all the time while it's charging. It's not a Samsung so it's Ok. Mind you there are Samsung parts in iPhones
......


How's the coverage? Cheap and Cheerful or Cheap and Nasty?

Aldi uses Telstra 4G network, so far no issues. It also has international roaming and I have connected in USA, Thailand, Japan and Hong Kong.

 

[cove]

How come fuel isn't under a dollar a liter now that the oil price per barrel has slumped to low forty dollars?

 

[whatmeworry]

How come fuel isn't under a dollar a liter now that the oil price per barrel has slumped to low forty dollars?

Your lucky in WA with fuel watch. Fuel retailers have been ripping us off for at least a year in the east. The fuel cycle is over a month here in the east. ACCC does nothing.

https://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/petrol-diesel-lpg/petrol-price-cycles

AIP - Terminal Gate Prices

 

[cove]

Yes in Perth I buy 98 Octane petrol on a Monday each fortnight at $1.33 a litre. How it can be 1.649 at a nearby servo during the week amazes me.

 

[Major]

According to my Gas Buddy app 91 octane is currently $1.31 around the corner and 95 is $1.509

Makes you wonder ????

 

[serfty]

Just watching Bloomberg channel on TV and they are discussing Qatar's USD800mil unsolicited offer for 10% of AA - the 'expert' they went to for input stated that the 3 major US carriers have been lobbying US Govt officials to 'Try to curb the growth of ME carriers!'

So what imm imm springs to mind? Laptop / electronic device bans on flts from Gulf origins maybe?

Its been going on for several years.

There's a fair bit of commentary on this available from VFTW.

http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea...airways-taking-major-stake-american-airlines/

 

[Quickstatus]

How come fuel isn't under a dollar a liter now that the oil price per barrel has slumped to low forty dollars?

Suspicious that the octane availability in the US is 87,89,91 and in some places 93
Here it's 91,93,05,98.

Am I missing something?.
The lower the octane the cheaper it is to produce

 

[Quickstatus]

Aldi uses Telstra 4G network, so far no issues. It also has international roaming and I have connected in USA, Thailand, Japan and Hong Kong.

These virtual telcos apparently don't use the entire network though. But the prices are sharp...

 

[JohnK]

These virtual telcos apparently don't use the entire network though. But the prices are sharp...

Still surprised how data and calls are so expensive in Australia.

 

[RooFlyer]

Still surprised how data and calls are so expensive in Australia.

You get what you pay for. Ever tried to use 'native' telcos in USA and Canada ... service, roaming etc? Of course third world countries might be different.

I'm shocked to be happy with my $75/mo, everything included (including overseas calls to 10 countries) and more data than I can ever use on phone and most of my sim-enabled laptop ... on Telstra! As a business customer, short waits for service too. Yes, I'm still amazed.

 

[Quickstatus]

Still surprised how data and calls are so expensive in Australia.

Price points have been the same for many years but you get a lot much more for it these days.

 

[basso]

Still surprised how data and calls are so expensive in Australia.

Coming from a time when you used to have to book international phone calls, I am shocked by how much power and connectivity you carry around these days. The bang you get for your buck these days is so much greater than it was in the past.

 

[anat0l]

You get what you pay for. Ever tried to use 'native' telcos in USA and Canada ... service, roaming etc? Of course third world countries might be different.

I'm shocked to be happy with my $75/mo, everything included (including overseas calls to 10 countries) and more data than I can ever use on phone and most of my sim-enabled laptop ... on Telstra! As a business customer, short waits for service too. Yes, I'm still amazed.

I've heard some "third world" countries actually have excellent telecommunications infrastructure, albeit perhaps only in major metropolitans.

I don't know what telecommunications networks are like in Tasmania, but I'd imagine it is not as receptive as in major mainland centres, so we (in the cities) may have an inflated idea for what passes as "to be happy", at least when thinking about cost or reception.

When one can tax deduct on telco costs, one tends to be slightly less critical about the spend.

Price points have been the same for many years but you get a lot much more for it these days.

Coming from a time when you used to have to book international phone calls, I am shocked by how much power and connectivity you carry around these days. The bang you get for your buck these days is so much greater than it was in the past.

Bang for buck is likely much better indeed, but expectations have also shifted considerably.

People rely on mobile communications like a crutch; data more so these days, sometimes a lot more than just the plain reception to be able to make calls or send SMS.

In fact, I'm not sure if it's the cost that most grouse about more than simply the quality of the offering - that is, speed, uptime, continuity and recovery; the last one of these I believe most are of the opinion that our telcos are embarrassingly poor.

 

[JohnK]

Price points have been the same for many years but you get a lot much more for it these days.

I know it's different economies but in Europe you can get unlimited broadband for ~€15/month. Much higher here.

Also wife gets unlimited internet for a month with AIS in Thailand and that costs ~$15/month. When she's here the plan expires as we don't leave money in account and she starts again when we go back to Thailand.

 

[Quickstatus]

Australia is a high cost everything. I can't find anything where it's cheaper here than elsewhere in the world. Anyone find anything?

 

[RB]

Telechoice might be a viable alternative for some people for mobiles/data. They also use the Telstra network (not totally sure if it extends to all/4G). Telstra is the only network worth considering where we are. Recently noticed the wife of a paramedic posting on a forum looking for a local rental-they were restricted in where they could live because they must have reliable internet/mobile/home phone at their premises.

 

[Denali]

We just had ANOTHER fire evac because someone burnt toast somewhere, or tripped a desk heater or something in the building.

Checking my records, we had to evac March 29th, April 3rd, April 4th, May 9th, May 19th, June 6th, June 20th. Ridiculous! Told the building manager that I have 2 very pregnant ladies (who now have evac buddies) walking downwards in spirals for 8 flights who are getting dizzy because of these false alarms.

And we just had another bloody office evacuation. You would think I would be thinner, with all the stairs I have to walk to get out of this building constantly.

 

[anat0l]

Australia is a high cost everything. I can't find anything where it's cheaper here than elsewhere in the world. Anyone find anything?

I lived in Switzerland for 15 months. While there are certainly some things in Switzerland which are competitively priced compared to Australia, taking into account that in working there you get paid in CHF and not AUD, there are things which are certainly still cheaper in Australia. Meat is the biggest one that comes to mind; beef is very expensive in CH, and if you need a meat fix on a budget, pork or chicken are your best bets. Plenty of fresh produce is cheaper than in CH, though not all - most of the produce in CH is Swiss local rather than imported.

Comparing like for like quality of service, the average cost of a men's haircut is cheaper in Australia than in Switzerland. You almost need to know inside tips or be fluent in a local language to avoid paying a lot for a simple classic haircut in Switzerland.

People in Australia complain a lot about not being able to own their own home. Good luck even trying in Switzerland, unless you have the family home which has been handed down generation to generation. Many are content (genuinely content) renting for their entire life; some would be content if they could actually find somewhere of their own to rent! (The average time for a Lausanne resident to obtain their own place on rent is apparently around two years)

For reference, a Swisscom mobile only subscription plan costs a minimum of CHF 60 per month. The common Swisscom subscription plans all give unlimited data (subject to fair use, but no throttling); the main difference in paying for a better subscription is faster speeds (minimum is 2 Mbps), more minutes for international calls and more allowance when roaming in Europe. There are obviously cheaper telco suppliers in Switzerland - even Lebara has a presence - but reliability also comes to mind.

I believe cars are cheaper here than in Singapore and likely a few other countries; though one might argue that in Singapore it's not buying the car that's expensive, it's owning it.

I'm not sure if college is overall more expensive in the USA compared to a university degree here, though thankfully it is not yet paid substantially upfront here so in theory it means that one can study here where finances are not an immediate, significant barrier.

 

[BacchusMarsh]

Excellent, I suspect a certain Afghani will be very happy:

LONDON: Afghanistan and Ireland have been voted in as full members of the International Cricket Council, meaning they can play Test matches against the world's elite countries.

The ICC announced the decision on Thursday following a unanimous vote at a full council meeting.