Edinburgh, Scotland, Victoria Street, Diagon Alley

Edinburgh, Scotland, Grassmarket Market Square

Aldimobile Auto Recharge leaves users open to bill shock.

In February I moved to Aldimobile. Overall it's been a good service, but then recently something unexpected happened.

It was after midnight and I received an SMS, "Hi, Your ALDImobile PAYG credit is fully depleted. Please go online or use your mobile app to recharge."

My first reaction was to go and top up the account.

My next reaction was what the? I'm on Auto Recharge. Shouldn't I be covered?

Turns out at the end of the month the Auto Recharge can take up to a day to be applied. So for hours and up to a day, anything you use is taken out of your PAYG balance. Luckily there was only a $4.88 balance which was cleared out by Aldimobile. Never knew where that 12 cents went, but my guess now is data use during the time Auto Recharge hadn't been applied in the past. A second service also had money taken out.

To me the worst-case scenario is you have a large PAYG balance and you're watching a movie online and your balance is cleared out.

Of course, all of this can be found online, as long as you make the effort to read further than the first screens. ALDImobile also states "No bill shock", but isn't an unexpected and an unknown amount being charged what bill shock is?

I didn't know ALDImobile's Auto Recharge meant you weren't fully covered with your monthly payment. Perhaps others don't know as well, which is why I'm sharing this story.

I don't think ALDImobile's Auto Recharge is good enough and as a result, have moved to another provider so this is not an issue.

Kelvin

Use Bookmarklets to add new features to Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome

Bookmarklets are a very powerful feature available to add to you Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome (plus others) browsers to add new and convenient features.

Bookmarklets - JustLocal.

For example I add features to my browser to check the spelling of a word, the entire web page, and more recently, to speed up YouTube videos.

I share the bookmarklets on the above web page in case they're of interest to others.

Kelvin

VicRoads Bundoora, Practical Driving Test #10 with audio guide

Enjoyed creating the VicRoads Bundoora, Practical Driving Test #10 with audio guide. You'll hear the audio guide providing the turn-by-turn instructions.

Kelvin

Anaconda eBike Ride, Box Hill to Templestowe following Google maps directions

Pleasant ride on the Anaconda ebike from Box Hill to Templestowe.

Kelvin

VicRoads Heatherton Practical Driving Test #8

VicRoads Heatherton, Practical Driving Test #8.

Video includes explanation of www.PracticalDrivingTest.com.au site and includes an animation for the practical driving test route provided by a driver instructor and also a video using the audio guide with myself completing the practical driving test.

Keeping you home phone number (landline without the landline) using CrazyTel.

A lot of people including ourselves use mobiles for all their calls so no longer need the landline, except in our case we wanted to keep the landline number. A couple of years ago I got rid of the landline and had the home phone number ported to Vodafone since we had a Vodafone mobile service. To find out more about this service search for Vodafone mobile landline. It's actually worked quite well and costs $5 a month.

More recently I've wanted to move the landline number away from Vodafone because I'm moving away from Vodafone. With a bit of searching, I found a company called CrazyTel, where you can port your landline number to them and have any calls forwarded to voicemail and then for the recording to be automatically forward to an email address. I don't want to use the landline, but I do want to catch any calls from people who may not know our mobile numbers. I don't want or need to make calls out. I don't want to set up an answering machine at home and get annoying calls day and night from scammers. So, to have all calls go to voicemail and the recording forwarded to email suits me perfectly.

The good thing about CrazyTel is it only costs $1 a month to have CrazyTel host your landline number and forward voicemail to your email. 

So how did it go?

Well to be truthful, as an IT person with considerable experience, I couldn't get it to work at first. However today when I went back to finish the set up everything worked. Go figure.

I ported the landline number from Vodafone to CrazyTel on the 18th of January 2023. I received notification from CrazyTel on the 27th of January the port had been completed.

At this point I tried to set up the voicemail for my landline number, but I couldn't complete a field. Not sure why. However today (the 1st of February) I logged back on the CrazyTel website. My landline number was there, the voicemail had been set up. All I then did was to go into my number and selected Voicemail as the Type of Forwarding my email as the Forwarding Destination.

I completed a couple of test calls. The voice quality isn't great, but it will do. The options a person hears when recording a message is confusing at first. You get a message to record your message and then options to listen to, save or redo the message. It's actually not bad once you realise if you've made a mistake in the message, you can redo the message. Once saved you get two options. You're told to end by pressing the pound key. Confusing as the # key is called the hash key, number symbol or pound symbol. Also, the sound quality isn't the best so it can be hard to make out what key is mentioned, but you can listen to the options again. Quality is average but it's good enough for my needs.

Now that everything is set up and working, at this point I'm quite happy. I have my landline number still and it only costs $1 a month. CrazyTel even give you a $2 credit when you sign up so there's no risk and you effectively get two months free. Keep in mind this is using your existing number. If you want a new number that's an extra $1 per month.

If you're comfortable with technology then you should be able to nut through the process, otherwise it could be a bit overwhelming.

Hopefully by sharing my experience it will help others in the same situation.

Kelvin

Update: 01/02/2023
Left a message from a mobile using Aldi's mobile service and the voice quality was excellent. The poor-quality call was from a Vodafone service. In other words, the call quality on the CrazyTel service may not be due to CrazyTel's service, but outside their control.

Practical Driving Test VicRoads Frankston

Practical Driving Test VicRoads Frankston is the seventh practical driving test route video.

Kelvin

Google's Gmail does not receive emails containing just images or links.

A significant issue with Google's Gmail is when people send emails from outside of Gmail that only contains an image/picture or a link, the recipient using Gmail does not receive the email. The person sending the email does not receive any notification the email failed. The sender doesn't know the person doesn't receive the email and the Gmail user never knows something has been sent to them.

For example, whilst on holidays recently I sent a picture of the Big Pineapple to two friends. One using Gmail and one using a different domain.

The person with Gmail did not receive the picture but the person using a non-Gmail email account had no issues receiving the email. At no time did I know the Gmail user was not receiving the emails with just a picture.

Recently I've tried to share a YouTube video using the share link feature in YouTube. I send using a non-Gmail service and Gmail users do not receive the email. Again, no notification of failure and no idea the Gmail user hasn't received the email.

In summary, if you're sending a link or picture as the only content in an email, and you're sending the email not using Gmail, a Gmail user is unlikely to receive the email.

To avoid this issue, I select the Share option and then send using my Gmail account to other Gmail users. This works for both pictures and links.

I should add the issue with not receiving emails with a link or a picture when using Gmail may also happen if there's other text in the email. For example, today I forwarded an email that had two pictures and the message I had previously sent to another Gmail user who did receive the email. The forward email only had my signature plus the content of the previous email plus the two attachments. When I forwarded the email from my sent items to a second person the Gmail user failed to receive the email. I sent the two pictures in an email using Gmail and the Gmail user received the email. In other words, it can be quite hard to know when something will or won't work with Gmail if you're sending from a non-Gmail account.

If you're not using Gmail and you're sending emails to a Gmail user, and the email contains links or images, there's a high possibility the Gmail user will not receive your email and you won't know.

Kelvin

Update: 28/01/2024
If I recall correctly, to solve this problem I needed to update my mail server records at the hosting company as Google now requires greater authentication.

Fake retailer scam websites now a thing. Here's an example for Dotti.

I was recently talking to a customer service representative for a large Australian retailer and they were telling me people would call asking for a refund after being scammed by a fake retailer. I decided to see if this was happening to other retailers and here's an example for Dotti.

Online shoppers urged to avoid ‘Dotti’ retailer scam which uses fake websites | news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site

If you're buying online make sure you're buying from a legitimate retailer's site. It's so easy for scammers to build duplicate fake sites.

Kelvin

Driving Coburg to Diamond Creek

Practical Driving Test Website Overview

Overview video of the Practical Driving Test website.

Kelvin
https://www.PracticalDrivingTest.com.au

Leitner Electric Bike Review versus Anaconda Electric Bike

On a recent short stay in Torquay, Victoria I noticed the property had a number of Leitner Electric Bikes for hire. I couldn't miss the opportunity to take one for a test ride.

Kelvin

Error starting GoPro Player software. "GoPro Player is not currently available in your account."

Recently I had an issue starting the GoPro Player software. I have a GoPro and without the GoPro Player software there is no way to view or use the 360 videos. A complete downer. The following are the various error messages I received.

 

This felt to me to be more of a Microsoft issue rather than a GoPro issue so I decided to leave feedback on the Microsoft store. Given I'd not been able to access the files for a few days, shortly after posting the feedback the issue disappeared. Coincidence or Microsoft actually checking the feedback I don't know.

The main reason I'm sharing is if others find themselves in the same situation, sharing my experience might save some time.

Kelvin

VicRoads Geelong, Practical Driving Test #4

VicRoads Geelong, Practical Driving Test #4 complete with audio guide for travelling the route is now available at www.PracticalDrivingTest.com.au.

Kelvin

VicRoads Dandenong, Practical Driving Test #6

The VicRoads Dandenong, Practical Driving Test #6 is now available on YouTube.

Kelvin
www.PracticalDrivingTest.com.au

VicRoads Coolaroo, Practical Driving Test #5

VicRoads Coolaroo Practical Driving Test #5 is now available and can be found at www.PracticalDrivingTest.com.au.

Kelvin

VicRoads Ringwood, Heatherdale Road, Practical Driving Test #3

The third Practical Driving Test video is now available including audio guided turn by turn instructions for those wishing to complete the practical driving test route.

Kelvin
www.PracticalDrivingTest.com.au

Location of Dan Andrews' wife Catherine Andrews crash with cyclist in 2013.

Today I noticed an article about the crash involving Dan Andrews' wife Catherine Andrews and a 15 year old cyclist that occurred in 2013.

Dan Andrews grilled over 2013 Blairgowrie crash with Ryan Meuleman | news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site

I decided to check out the location. You can find the location by copying and pasting the following coordinates or address into Google Maps.

-38.37233221847381, 144.77570100737393
(Melbourne Road and Ridley Street, Blairgowrie)

The accident occurred at 1:10pm on the 7th of January 2013. In 2013 Melbourne Road had a speed limit of 70km/h, which is also the current speed limit. Ridley Street had/has a speed limit of 50km/h.

All I can really say is it must have been gut wrenching for all parties involved. I was once pulling out of a drive very, very slowly where the hedge obscured my view and out of the corner of my eye I noticed something and immediately hit the brakes. It was a small child on a bike who had got ahead of the mother. The bike ended up on it's side and just near or possibly under the wheel of my car (I can't quite recall). No one was hurt, the bike was not damaged, but I was shaken and lived with the memory for some time. There's no winners in this situation.

I don't like checking out accident information as it's often horrible. I do like to understand what may have happened in broad terms so if there's something to learn, I can learn and pass the information on to family and friends.

Using Google Streetview to check out the location you'll see there's no warning to cars that a bike track exists. Nothing. Visibility is very limited. The path is around 17 metres from the main road. There's perhaps 2-3 metres visibility of anyone on the path. A bike travelling at 20km/h would give a driver 0.36-0.72 seconds to respond and hit the brakes. On roads for traffic lights, response time is assumed to be around 1 second. In other words, there may be insufficient time for a driver to respond and apply their brakes irrespective of their speed.

The bike path being 17 metres from the main road is around a house block in from the road. Drivers expect paths to be near roads, not a house block in. But it is a warning when in these areas look out for signs of bike paths and drive appropriately. Cyclists also need to consider they may not be seen. Perhaps some signage or line markings indicating cycling crossing point may be worth considering.

I hope this information may help others in some way. It has certainly taught me to be more alert for bike trails and paths.

Kelvin