Firefox Addons fix on Ubuntu 18.04

So after Mozilla fucked up extensions aka add-ons for their Firefox web browser (if you haven't noticed, you may stop reading now), they now released an update to fix that bug. After updating your Firefox browser, your add-ons should be back and operational once again.

To get this bug fix, you want Firefox version 66.0.4.

Unfortunately, running the Ubuntu Software Updater did, in my case, not actually update my Firefox browser.

Running sudo apt update, followed by sudo apt install firefox only informed me that I already had "the most current version".
firefox --version confirmed that my "most current version" was in fact Firefox 66.0.3.

It seems that at the moment (May 7, 2019), the Ubuntu repository does not (yet) have the Firefox release featuring that bug fix.

But there's hope!

Install Firefox 66.0.4 from Mozilla PPA repository:

1) Add Mozilla signing key:
sudo apt-key adv --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys A6DCF7707EBC211F

2) Add Mozilla repository:
sudo apt-add-repository "deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/ubuntu-mozilla-security/ppa/ubuntu bionic main"
sudo apt update

3) Install Firefox (this will now obtain the latest Firefox version from the Mozilla repository you've just added):
sudo apt install firefox

4) For confirmation:
firefox --version returns
66.0.4

5) Launch Firefox to see all your beloved add-ons restored to their former glory.

The above instructions, namely details about Mozilla repository, taken from here.

Shopping with Amazon Australia

In short: Depending on what product you're after, it's not all bad.

I've compared a couple of items (ok, just 6), and even within that tiny sample, the results range from "that's ok" to "are you fucking kidding me":

Description	Amazon USA			Amazon Australia			Harvey Norman
	USD	AUD	AUD inc GST	AUD	Diff AUD	Diff %
Seagate Backup Plus 4TB Portable External Hard Drive USB 3.0	USD 100	AUD 136	AUD 150	AUD 149	- AUD 1	- 0.67 % %	AUD 219
AmazonBasics External Hard Disk case	USD 7	AUD 9	AUD 10	AUD 12	+ AUD 2	+ 20.00 % %	AUD 14 1
Sanddisk UltraFit USB drive 16 GB	USD 8	AUD 11	AUD 13	AUD 9	- AUD 4	- 30.77 %	AUD 12 1
Mpow Car phone mount	USD 16	AUD 22	AUD 25	AUD 57	+ AUD 32	+ 128.00 %	AUD 24 1
Filter B&W Neutral density 3.0 MRC 110M 77mm	USD 100	AUD 136	AUD 150	AUD 323	+ AUD 173	+ 115.33 %
Buyee media player	USD 35	AUD 46	AUD 53	AUD 43	- AUD 10	- 18.87 %

¹ Comparable product

Note 1: For convenience, all prices have been rounded: Amazon US up to the next full dollar, Amazon AUS down to the full dollar.

Note 2: I've ignored shipping; for low-price items that are only slightly cheaper in the US, this might reverse the result.

Also, Amazon Australia still only features approx 60 million products, compared to 570 million items on Amazon US; so it's still a matter of luck to even find what you're after on the local site.

So there you have it. It's not as bad as I expected, but there are still a few instances of blatant rip-offs for Australian buyers; especially now that Amazon US is no longer available to us.

The Grey Headed Flying Fox

The internet tells me the Grey Headed Flying Fox is one of the largest bats in Australia (Wikipeida, that old beacon of accuracy, even claims it's the biggest).

And as it turns out, there's a rather large colony at Parramatta Park. So, here are a couple of pictures:

Return And Earn

I've finally had the chance to try the NSW Government's "Return And Earn" scheme that imposes a $ 0.10 deposit on some drink containers that can then be reclaimed by returning said containers to a "Collection Point". Specifically, I wanted to try the "Reverse Vending machines.

Now that I've done that, I have several questions:

- Why are there so few "Reverse Vending Machines"?

- Why are "Reverse Vending Machines" not located in high traffic areas, in locations that would be convenient for large numbers of potential users? As an example; there's not a single machine to be found in the entire city of Parramatta, a major hub in the Sydney metro area and home to some 25,000 people, featuring a large Westfield shopping centre that would make just one of many excellent choices for those machines

- Why are there no machines along major roads, where commuters could conveniently return their empties on their way to / from work?

- Why have the machines only one slot for non-glass containers, causing long lines (in my test 22 minutes) even in off-peak hours?

- When will the scanners be upgraded so that the machines no longer reject containers with microscopic dents or invisible scratches in the bar code?

- Whose brilliant idea was it to make actually receiving the refund for successfully returned containers as difficult as possible? Does the Government honestly think that either
-- Installing a buggy app that has received overwhelmingly scathing reviews (Android, Apple), setting up a profile, and then sharing ones PayPal details with the Government
-- Take the printed receipt / voucher to the one designated store listed on the voucher and stand in line again to finally receive the cash refund
are acceptable or even convenient?

- Related to previous item: When will the machine be upgraded to directly dispense cash refunds?

- Is the person in charge of implementing the Return And Earn scheme still working in his role? If so, how do I apply for a job in that department; I quite like the idea of a pressure-free work environment where competence is irrelevant and even complete and utter failure results in no consequences whatsoever.

Driving the "improved" M4

On the occasion of the return of road tolls to Sydney's M4 motorway, here's a video showing a journey along the "upgraded" section from Parramatta to Homebush (and onwards to Concord) and back, on a random weekday the week before the reintroduction of the tolls.

A couple of thoughts:

Before the "upgrade", with frequent lane merges, such as 4 lanes being reduced to 3 at the Church St, Parramatta exit, then 3 reduced to 2 at the James Ruse Dr exit (eastbound), the speed limit was 90 kph. Now with 4 lanes in each direction for most of the "upgraded" section, and therefore less potentially dangerous spots, the max speed limit has been lowered to 80 kph. So while the elimination of a few bottlenecks may reduce travel time in peak out traffic to some extent; paying the exorbitant toll on, say, a lazy Sunday afternoon, will not save you any time, regardless of what the WestConnex crooks and their NSW government accomplices keep telling us – quite the contrary.

Furthermore, that 80 kph limit is exactly the same that applied during the construction phase of the upgrade. We must therefore conclude that 4 wide, straight, unobstructed lanes are no safer than 2 narrow, often winding, lanes in a roadworks zone with its turning trucks and all the other hazards that come with, well, roadworks.

That said, I'm not all that sure the "upgrade" improves traffic flow all that much anyway. Even in light traffic (weekday around 3 pm), the actual speed frequently drops below even the low speed limit of 80 kph. Below is the speed chart from my westbound journey (includes section from Concord to Homebush, which at the time still was a roadworks zone).



Then, there's the blatant lie of what the "upgrade" actually includes. According to WestConnex, the M4 Widening project delivers

"Widening the existing M4 Motorway from Parramatta to Homebush from three to four lanes in each direction"

To, me, and presumably to many other, apparently misinformed, readers, this implies 4 lanes all the way. Sadly, but not surprisingly, this isn't so. At the Silverwater Rd exit, lane 1 (the leftmost lane) becomes the exit lane, leaving the actual freeway reduced to 3 lanes. Granted, the 4th lane returns after the exit, in the form of the non-merging on ramp from Silverwater road; but it only takes common sense to realize that any reduction of lanes, no matter for how short a distance, will always cause congestion in heavy traffic. After all, the elimination of exactly those lkinds of bottlenecks was supposed to be the point of this expensive project.

To sum up; As of August 15, 2017, you get to pay AUD 4.56 each way (with future regular increases already legislated), to drive, even in perfect condition an light traffic, slower than before the "upgrade", on a road that doesn't actually deliver the key promise of the project ("4 lanes each way from Parra to Homebush").

After this experience, some questions remain:
- Is the NSW Government merely incompetent, or outright corrupt?
- Does the NSW Government have employees that are specifically tasked with finding ways to stuff up Government projects?
- Should the company building delivering the M4 "upgrade" (and charging motorists exorbitant tolls for it), Sydney Motorway Corporation, be classified as a criminal organization?

How to renew your NSW drivers license in 4 short weeks

How to renew your standard NSW drivers lincense in 8 easy steps over the course of only 4 weeks, with only 4 trips to Service NSW:

Before we start, be reminded that in early 2016 (I think), the RMS (formerly RTA) centralized the production photo id cards such as drivers licenses. This is a “more efficient way to do business” and allows us customers to “complete our transaction faster”. So keep in mind that the process outlined below is actually an improvement compared to the olden days when the friendly customer service person would just print your license and hand it to you on the spot.

1)
Fail to renew your license online, because no email address is linked to your account, and adding an email address cannot be done online.

2)
Attend a Service NSW branch of your choice, for instance Parramatta. When asked, no, instructed, by the bossy receptionist to renew your license online, be quick to point out that you've tried and failed, otherwise she will shove you out the door before you get a word in edgewise.

3)
At this point, bossy receptionist transforms into helpful assistant and updates your account. She will not, however, conduct any further checks regarding your eligibility to renew online, instead reverting to bossy receptionist and once again rush you out the door.

4)
Successfully start process to renew license online. Suppress urge to obliterate your computer when told by the web site that you're not eligible, because the system has determined that an eyesight test is necessary.

5)
Print and complete paper form, return to Service NSW branch again, have renewal application processed, including eyesight test and new photo. Pay AUD 178.00 for the privilege, a modest increase of just over 13 % since the last renewal five years ago. Enjoy the 50 % discount for having a good driving record.

6)
Because the RTA, sorry, RMS, sorry, Service NSW centralized the actual printing of licenses etc, receive a temporary license in the form of a convenient paper document (size DIN A5), which you will be required to carry when driving until your “proper” license arrives by mail (in “about 2 weeks’ time”).

7)
After three weeks, return to Service NSW branch for the fourth time because your license hasn’t arrived yet. Complete another form, take another ticket, then by pure chance once again enjoy the friendly service of Diane. Have your photo taken again, receive another temporary license, and learn that Diane is not only blessed with a cheerful personality, but also complete and utter indifference to customer service. Do not expect her to even attempt to find out why your license hasn’t been mailed, or take any steps to ensure this won’t happen again; Diane won’t even try to hide the fact that she doesn’t give a shit.

8)
After another week, receive your license by mail. Do not take this for granted, there is no telling how many times you will hear Diane say “It just didn’t get mailed” before this last step actually happens.

So there you have it; couldn’t be any easier or more convenient, really. My only request to the RMS would be: Don’t make any more “improvements” to your services, please!

Update: Taxis Combined nightmare

Well, while Taxis Combined clearly isn't even trying to provide a decent service, they do at least respond to feedback. This is their reply, sent via a series of Twitter messages:

Thanks, Frank. We will pass this on to our Driver Services Team who will address with the Driver in accordance with our codes of conduct. While we are not permitted to discuss exactly what occurs with the Driver during this process, we can advise that action taken will depend on the Driver's past feedback & driving history. Action can include counselling, additional training & cancellation of the Driver's affiliation w/ Taxis Combined. This incident will also be recorded on their permanent record. Please accept our apologies for your experience. It by no means meets the standards we expect from affiliated Drivers. If you could DM your preferred postal address, we would like to send you a Cabcharge voucher to both apologise & thank you for providing this feedback. - Cass

For the record, they have in the meantime mailed that Cabcharge voucher (AUD 20) referred to in the above response.

The rest of it, namely the part about "possible action" to be taken against the driver does come across as fluffy and meaningless; or to put it more bluntly, outright bullshit. The fact that this driver was on the road at all clearly indicates that Taxis Combined tolerate that kind of performance. I have no doubt there must have been previous complaints about this guy (people very rarely turn from decent human being into nausea-inducing pig overnight), yet Taxis Combined obviously didn't see a problem with keeping him driving for them.

Adding to that the fact that while this was by far the worst experience with this taxi company, every single previous ride with them was, awful (all of their cabs I've been in were filthy, and every single one of their drivers was either rude, lazy (no help with luggage), incompetent with directions, downright dangerous in their driving (n most cases a combination of several of these); I can say with certainty that my resolve to never use Taxis combined again has not changed.

Avoiding them is of course easiest when booking a cab; just call someone else … anyone else.

But also keep in mind that at taxi ranks, you are under no obligation to take the first cab in line; and at places like airports etc, you don't have to take the cab the hi-vis-wearing wrangler directs you to.

For the record; yes I do have a preferred taxi operator in Sydney; and no I won't name them; I don't want this whole episode to be perceived as an endorsement or promo-stunt for any one particular provider. I also am not affiliated in any way with any commercial, private, or public transport providers of any kind.

Taxis Combined – another trip from hell

I'm the first to admit my own mistakes, and just accepting whatever cab the taxi wrangler at Sydney airport directs me to definitely qualifies.

On Wednesday, August 31, 2016, just before 8pm, the next available cab in the queue at the international terminal of Sydney airport happened to be Taxis Combined taxi # 2203. I had bad trips with these guys in the past, but this one beat them all.

The actual driving brought no surprises; quite a few heart-stopping lane changes, a nearly missed turn; nothing you wouldn't expect from any taxi in Sydney.

The driver, however, was another story. Constantly sneezing and coughing, he soon explained that he had, in his words, "a cold, or maybe the flu". For the entire trip, he continued to rub his nose and wipe his face. And just in case that wasn't gross enough, he not only constantly chewed on his chewing gum in an extremely vomit – inducing manner, but also used those same hands that would later handle my luggage (again) and potentially touch my credit card to extensively play with said chewing gum.

We can only hope guys like this, and indeed companies like Taxis Combined who manage to provide consistently appalling service, will be put out of business by competition like Uber sooner than later.

Sydney by night - again

I better post this, so nobody can say I've gone a full year without putting up anything. And to get back into it, I might as well pick up where I left off.

These nighttime shots were taken from Mrs Macquaries Chair (Sydney).

Sydney by night - part 2

And because it was so much fun, some more nighttime shots, this time of the Opera House and the Harbor Bridge.



The Sydney Opera House at dusk



The Sydney Opera House by night



Wide angle shot of the Sydney Harbor Bridge



The Sydney Harbor Bridge

Sydney by night - part 1

Some dusk and nighttime shots of Sydney, more specifically the city, taken from across the harbor



Sydney harbor just before sunset (panorama image composed of 11 photos; panorama generated by Hugin).



The skyline of Sydney at dusk (with some inevitable light streaks from passing ferries)



The skyline of Sydney by night



Another image of the city and harbor by night, but with much more colorful reflections on the water

Conquering the hills of Sydney Harbor

Apparently, Sydney Harbor either is riddled with hills hidden under those deceptively flat waters, or I must have slept thru a series of massive, Hollywood – worthy breakers on my recent ferry trip. What's more, even though the harbor runs directly into the ocean, it seems to be between 16 and 47 meters (52 to 154 feet) above sea level. I really must go check out that waterfall between North Head and South Head.

Also, even though this particular trip started upstream, the ferry seems to have traveled uphill, starting at 17 meters (56 feet) above sea level, and finishing at 23 meters (75 feet).

Conclusion: I'm not sure I can really trust the GPS module of my Nexus 5.


Elevation profile from GPS log of ferry trip, as recorded on my Nexus 5. Recording started and ended on ferry, no on-shore traveling

Sydney Harbor - High above the sea

Sydney Harbor … now 34 meters above sea level.

Parramatta Centenary square

From the Better late than never desk: A couple of photos from Parramatta's Centenary Square (formerly known as Church Street Mall), taken around Christmas.




Another attempt at HDR


For the artsy fartsy inclined: Colorful Xmas tree in an otherwise b/w Centenary Square


Panorama image created from 10 individual photos, stitched together with the help of Hugin.

Adios Telstra

After recently discussing my first impression of the Optus experience, it's only fair to also share the final moments of my relationship with Telstra.

As mentioned before, the Telstra account becomes inactive the moment you transfer your phone number to another carrier. Once this happens, your online Telstra profile will only say "No active account for this profile", with no option to access pending bills, usage data, or any other details.

Unlike the Optus Life Chat, which is prominently advertised and even (annoyingly) pops up whenever you linger on any given Optus web page for a while, the Telstra chat thingy is well hidden. It takes a fair bit of navigating thru the Support pages before you eventually arrive at a Contact Us page that actually lets you pick the Life Chat feature.

The one positive thing about the Optus chat was that in all instances, I was connected to a consultant almost instantly. Not so here; the Telstra chat window informs me that I'm currently number 24 in the queue. Definitely not a promising start.

It takes approximately 15 minutes to make it to the front of the queue; then, I'm greeted by Joan (and yes, I almost did reply "Watson, is that you?"). Joan quickly sends me a link to their Pay a bill page, where you apparently can make payments even after your Telstra account has been deactivated. After I inquire about access to the actual bill details, Joan offers to send a copy of the bill to my email address.

I submit the payment while I'm still online with Joan (just in case it doesn't work; this is Telstra, after all). But I need not worry, the payment actually goes thru quite smoothly; it seems they at least have the parts needed to take our money running well.

The actual support chat took about 5 minutes; plus the 15 minutes I waited in the queue.

So, this time, the support staff turned out to be the best performing part of the system.

Suggestion to Telstra: When an inactive account still has a balance that's not zero, include a link to that Pay a bill page on the online account landing page.

And now I'm done. Hasta la vista, Telstra.

The Optus experience - summary

As regular readers might have picked up, I've switched my mobile phone to Optus Prepaid. It's been a somewhat bumpy ride with cunningly hidden information, well-meaning but mostly clueless customer service staff, and the inevitable spam. If you have the time to read it all, please do:

• Part 1: Research
  
  
• Part 2: Signing up
  
  
• Part 3: First steps
  
  
• Part 4: The spam
  

To sum up:

What
Optus My Prepaid daily

• Prepaid semi-flat rate plan based on daily usage. The first outgoing standard national call, SMS, MMS, or data use triggers the basic daily rate of $ 1.00. After 30 mins of talk, or 40 MB of data, that daily rate automatically jumps to $ 1.50, giving you unlimited talk, and another 40 MB of data (SMS / MMS are unlimited with the intial $ 1.00).
  
  
• Once the extra 40 MB are also used up, increments of $ 0.50 / 50 MB are added, up to a total of $ 5.00 for the day. After that, you can obtain additional data blocks at $ 2.00 / 200 MB and $ 5.00 / 500 MB, but you must actively purchase them, they're not automatically added, so you keep in control of just how much you spend.
  
  
• Non – standard items like international messaging, international calls, etc, are charged by the item.
  
  
• If you use a lot of data, you might wanna look at My Prepaid Daily Plus, where the initial flat rate of $ 2.00 gives you 500 MB (as well as unlimited standard national calls), and another $ 2.00 adds an extra 524 MB, leaving you with 1 GB for $ 4.00, plus all the national voice calls, SMS, and MMS you want.
  

The Good

• The plan itself seems to suit my particular usage pattern; days with no use whatsoever (yes, that happens) won't cost me anything, the daily cost for standard national stuff (talk, messages, a little data) seems acceptable, international rates seem surprisingly reasonable, and roaming, although expensive, is available if necessary.
  
  
• The web site is easy to use, most (but not all) information can be found without too much trouble, support (although not always helpful) is easily available via the prominent Live Chat feature.
  
  
• Sales assistant at the Parramatta store is friendly efficient, and at least to some degree, seems to know what she's doing
  
  
• Once set up, the service works as expected
  
  
• Online account provides a good overview of the account status, credit, usage, as well as easy access to account settings and extras
  
  
• Account status info via basic text message (that therefore works on even the oldest of phones) provides comprehensive summary of current usage, credit, and remaining talk / data
  

The Bad

• Roaming rates are obscenely expensive
  
  
• Although the plan boasts a 6 months expiry of credit, it turns out that in order to keep the service active, the account must actually be recharged at least 30 days before credit expires
  
  
• Some information is more difficult to find than necessary. Some relevant parts are not directly linked from the product page
  
  
• After the plan has been set up and activated, the online account to actually manage your plan must be set up separately
  
  
• Online account does not show data usage
  
  
• No mention of, or reference to, the settings required for MMS. You have to find your own way to the page where you can request these settings to be sent to your phone. Go to Support, search for MMS settings. That brings up (at least at the time I'm writing this) the APNS & technical settings. This page lists all the settings you could ever want, and also provides a link to the online tool where you can select the make and model of your phone and have the settings you're after sent to your device. As a side note; the settings page warns, under the details for streaming, that videos and TV can use large amounts of data, and advises to "monitor your usage thru My Account - where, as stated above, the MB usage is not listed!
  
  
• Usage details not available as csv file (print (to any printer, including PDF) is available)
  

The downright ugly
The extent of complete and utter incompetence and indifference you're likely to encounter both face to face (Merrylands shop, I'm talking about you) and via the Live Chat support channel is something to behold. Be prepared that perfectly ordinary questions that one would expect to be part of those people's everyday work are probably going to be met with an absolute inability to even point you in the right direction. If you ever need to explain the term "Stunned Mullet to someone, just take them to an Optus store, ask the staff a simple question, and observe.

The end
So there you have it. A product that's appealing enough to lure me away from Telstra; a relatively smooth transition; some extremely useless customer service staff spoiling the, well, customer experience somewhat; and some serious doubts about Optus' hiring policies.

The Optus experience - Part 4: The spam

It must be said that Optus is very considerate and doesn't just ignore new customers the moment they walk out of the store. In somewhat regular intervals, you get exciting text messages about the fascinating possibilities of your Optus mobile plan, and of course offers for extras you simply can't refuse – or so they think.

There is an unsubscribe option, which, after you ticked all the categories you don't want to be bothered with, cheerfully confirms that it will "take no more than 5 days to process the request".

It is disappointing that Optus not only chooses the Opt Out approach but then allows itself to keep bothering you with their spam for up to 5 days after you've actually gone thru the trouble to, well, opt out. The decent, non-dodgy way to go would surely be to spare the "valued customer" all those unrequested messages and provide an Opt In option for those who actually want them.

Previous: First steps

The Optus experience – Part 3: First steps

So, with my new Optus prepaid SIM active, I should be good to go. And sure enough, a series of Optus system messages arrive, some just to remind me what I've just bought (hey, a customer with poor memory is still a customer), some with actual information like voice mail PIN, etc.

Signal strength is good. I do notice that with Optus, the phone does not display the cell tower information, even when the relevant option in the phone is turned on.

Sending a text message (to an international number) works like a charm. Sending an MMS … not so much. I vaguely remember that when I got a new phone, Telstra had to send phone-specific settings to my device to make it work. At first glance, I can't find an "obvious" hint on the Optus website how to set this up, but since I have stuff to do and places to go, this needs to wait for now.

In-store support
So far, things haven't gone too badly, and so when I come across another Optus store (this time in Merrylands), I decide to try my luck. As before, a friendly sales chick quickly inquires how she can help me, but then, it's all downhill from there. I explain the issue to her, and the look on her face, one of utter perplexity and incomprehension, is something to behold. She couldn't have been more stumped if I'd asked her to fix Richie Branson's Virgin Galactic space vehicle. Except, unlike fixing experimental space ships, knowing stuff about mobile phones, especially when it comes to Optus – specific details, is (supposedly) part of her job. Once life returns to her blank stare, she plays around with the phone's settings while mumbling something about "internet settings must be on" (for MMS? Huh?). Meanwhile her very obvious "I can't be bothered to even pretend to give a shit" attitude only completes the picture of absolute, unmitigated incompetence. Eventually, she gives up, handing me the number of the Optus helpline.

In any case, I later find what looks like an answer to the issue in the Optus support section (after a bit of searching around). Under Setup via internet, you will find a link to the online tool, where you can pick your phone (make and model), and then can select the service you need the settings for (to set up multiple services, repeat as required). After completing the online form, my PIN is displayed, and after a couple of seconds, my phone receives a system text message. Press "Save", enter the PIN, and the phone is set up for the selected service (MMS, internet, WAP, etc).

Subsequently, sending my test MMS (to international number) works without a glitch.

While my phone is now set up as required, the question remains: How can Optus frontline staff possibly not know basic stuff like "your phone needs MMS settings sent by us, let me help you do that?"

Mobile data
Once the Optus config settings for internet access have been sent to the phone, said internet access works well. Speed isn't too impressive; but this is Australia, and given that even our broadband performance is usually listed under in the jokes section of overseas (and domestic) tech mags, this doesn't come as a surprise.

Account admin
To manage your account online, you first have to, well, set up your online account. Contrary to my (perhaps unrealistic) expectations, this does not happen automatically when the friendly Optus store assistant sets up your mobile account.

Once the account is set up, the friendly Login button on the Optus homepage takes you straight to the Login screen (whoda thunk?)

The account dashboard gives a good overview of your activities, as well as quick access to settings, options, extras, etc. It also displays the remaining credit, and of course provides a button to recharge your account.

It is noteworthy that under the convenient Your spend today heading, only the applicable daily level, triggered by outgoing national calls, outgoing national SMS / MMS, or mobile data use, is listed. Items that are charged separately, such as international calls, international messaging, etc, are listed under the Usage details tab. The remaining credit displayed in the summary still takes those separate items into account, though.

The usage details page faithfully lists all activities, both actual use and "technical" events like "Update service" (I'm sure that means something) etc. There's also not as much detail as there could be. All user activities come with a Duration, which for SMS / MMS etc always shows 00:00:00. More concerning, though, is the fact that this Duration info also extends to mobile data items, and not only does it show 00:00:00 instead of the actual duration of the network connection, it also takes up perfectly good space where useful information, such as usage (MB) could be displayed.

The data usage information is indeed nowhere to be found. With low expectations, I try the Live Chat again. Kat, the friendly customer service person listens to my query, then asks me to click on various items. Yes, clicking the item in the usage list does expand the row, but that doesn't reveal the MB usage either. It also becomes clear that the customer service chick isn't looking at the actual screen; if she was, there would be no need for her extensive Please click [something], let's see what happens approach. Eventually, she informs me that the usage "used to be displayed, but has been removed, as IT is working on an upgrade of this page". Of course, upgrades in progress do require the removal of features from the current version! I'm sure there's a universe somewhere where that makes sense.

Kat then offers me to look up the requested information for me, and comes back with how many MB I used during my test the day before. Helpful, but considering that the entire chat has taken about 25 minutes, not really a feasible alternative on a regular basis.

Still on the usage details, another missing feature is downloading the usage data as a cvs file. I must admit that while the Telstra service and products were bad enough to eventually drive me to Optus, their detailed cvs files have been a great help in analyzing my usage pattern.

Account tracking via SMS
When you're away from the interweb and want to quickly check your spending and usage via a good old text message, you can do that, too. There's a range of requests you can text to 9999, but perhaps the most comprehensive option is 1 (yes, just text the number 1 to 9999). Within seconds, you receive a text informing you of your current flat rate level, remaining data quota, remaining talk time, etc. That also means that while your online account won't show your data usage, you can track it via these text messages. You just have to do it on the day, as 9999 provides the current status for the day, no history data.

Previous: Signing up

Next: The spam

The Optus experience – Part 2: Signing up

So, after studying the prices and conditions of the services I'm likely to use most, and after comparing my mobile usage of the past 12 months between my existing plan and this Optus Prepaid Daily plan, I decide to give said Optus plan a go.

There's of course a convenient Buy Now button on the website; but I decide to go old school and do it at the physical shop. That way, I get my SIM straight away, as opposed to sometime between now and the next Melbourne Cup; someone in the store might even be able to clarify the stuff I couldn't find any information about, like the finer points of roaming etc; and the Optus staff can probably do the transfer of my existing phone number from Telstra, too.

So, off to the Optus store in Parramatta, where a sales chick is actually able to clarify some questions regarding roaming (sending MMS from overseas is $ 1.00 per message; roaming can't be disabled, mobile data roaming can't be disabled (must disable mobile data in phone)). However, I later find out that not all her very convincingly presented information is correct; once you have an active account, you actually can disable roaming via the web in the Settings section.

In any case, the actual sign-up process is quick and painless. The friendly shop assistant sets up my account, transfers my number from Telstra in the process, takes my money, and hands me the SIM. Then, she cheerfully informs me that my shiny new Optus SIM will be activated "within 4 hours". Since the old account (in my case Telstra) goes dead pretty much the moment the number is being transferred, this potentially leaves you with a communications black hole for a couple of hours. Definitely something to consider when planning the move from one carrier to another.

In my case, my phone gets an Optus signal after approximately 2 hours. My next post will outline how things go from there.

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The Optus experience - Part 1: Research

I've been looking into the Optus Prepaid Daily" mobile plan. As a very light user, this plan, with a 6 months expiry on credit (as opposed to 30 days with most other plans) and overall reasonable rates, seems to be the right product for me.

Navigating around the Optus website is mostly straight forward; you'll find the product you're after fairly quickly. The basic information regarding voice calls, messaging, and data use within Australia is clearly spelled out. Other items, such as international rates, are listed "somewhere else".

International call rates are easy enough to find. International messaging (SMS / MMS), however, is a different story. No price, no hint as where to find it, not even a link along the lines of "click here for more prices".

With roaming, it's a similar story. It starts out promising enough, with a "see our prepaid roaming rates" link on the product page taking you directly to the, well, roaming page. That's as straight forward as it can be, I give you that (ok, listing the link under the heading Low roaming rates constitutes a blatant lie, but that's a different story).

On the roaming page, you pick the relevant country, and a pop-up window gives you all the rates – well, sort of. The price for MMS to AU number is listed as Standard national MMS rate for your plan. Huh? Under the prepaid plan in question, I get unlimited (national) MMS (and SMS) messages once the daily $ 1.00 has been triggered. Does that mean I can send unlimited MMS to Australian numbers for $ 1.00 per day while I'm overseas? Considering that SMS to AU number is listed at $ 0.50 per message, I find that highly unlikely.

At this stage, I naively decide to give the Optus live chat feature that's so heavily promoted thruout the site a go. Blake, the friendly Optus Sales Consultant, responds quickly, but it's all downhill from there (I should have been warned when he introduced himself as a "consultant"). I put the question regarding SMS / MMS to international numbers to him, and he says he'll be "right with me". What follows are a series of "Thank you for waiting. I'll be right with you" messages (presumably automated), and then … Blake is gone! Disconnected.

Back on the product site, at the very bottom, is the infamous small print. Well, some of it. And among that small print, a link to the Critical Information Summary" (CIS) indicates that all might not be lost after all. The link takes you to the CIS library, rather than to the document that actually applies to the product, and you'll have to find your own way to the document (PDF) that applies to the product of your choice.

Once you have found the relevant CIS, you are rewarded with most of the information you've been looking for. It's all listed right there; non-standard call rates (directory, video calls, premium messages, etc), and International Messaging rates.

The CIS seems to be a pretty comprehensive source of information. It's mind-boggling that it doesn't occur to an Optus sales rep to at least look it up and see if it might answer the questions of the customer they're "helping".

On a side note, the CIS also states that while your credit on the Prepaid Daily plan expires after 6 months, you must recharge at least 30 days before expiry in order to keep the service active. That's not mentioned anywhere on the shiny product page, where the (supposedly) low rates and the long expiration period are advertised. Sneaky bastards!

Despite all this, I decide to go ahead. Read about actually signing up here.