Recommendations from people I follow on Twitter. Interviews from people on traditional TV promoting their book. Also, I can't count how many times from just strolling through the local library I've picked up a book which has caught my eye, borrowed it and thorougly enjoyed the book. Bill Gates book list -https://www.gatesnotes.com/Books
Everyone is using Mastercard, Visa etc. It is not obvious most of the time but numerous places add a merchant fee without you knowing. The $4.50 coffee you purchase costs more as they place a 1% (?) fee on top of the price. Also, when I do need cash, I am finding it harder and harder to find a bank ATM as the banks are closing branches everywhere. The 3rd party ATM's are everywhere but you get stung with a $2 fee (at a minimum).
Wouldn't using traditional eftpos payment (ie "debit" on the pos device) defeat the issue with visa/mc debit/credit cards?
I realise there's a convenience factor (tap to pay/nfc payment from smart devices) but if a 4.5c extra charge on a coffee is too much, you're probably going to have to deal with a bit less convenience.
To be honest even dealing with cash is going to be the biggest inconvenience. I recently visited my parents in SA after many years away from Australia. We took several hundred dollars in cash for expected small purchases that aren't worth using our foreign visa/Mastercards for. For example the $4.50 coffee.
Practically every place I used cash was able to but not at all expecting to.
One place I just wanted a couple of bottles of water. I don't remember how much it was. The guy seemed almost *insulted* when I handed him coins - he didn't even need to give me fucking change, but apparently putting coins in a till was a task he wasn't prepared for that day.
Another place (another day) I wanted some water, they had to *unlock the till* just to take my cash.
If a vendor is adding 1% to the charge for stuff going to the EMV networks, it's 100% worth it IMO.
If you're spending enough that the 1% becomes a significant amount, either it's:
- a rare purchase, and you could find a less convenient way to pay that one thing (ie eftpos) or you can just accept the cost once;
- it's a common/frequent purchase and you aren't even going to notice the 1%. If you care that much you can still always pay another way.
Another couple of good ones in Australia are:-
* Heaps Normal - Pale Ale (Jordy Smith pro surfer is a co-founder). They also have a lager but I found the pale ale much better.
* Hawkesbury - Prohibition Pale Ale
I really like Coopers. It tastes great and is the only brand that isn't almost as expensive as regular beer. I'm resentful of how much profit there must since there isn't alcohol excise to pay.
All it took was a work truck across the road from my house caused my WiFi, Zigbee alarm system to start sending "Jam Detected" notifications to my phone. I assumed his CB Radio was the cause.
Yes, the legal max is 4 watts, but that is if you're 'running barefoot' as they say, or without amplification.
There are car RF amplifiers that can run into the hundreds of watts or more and they do cause significant interference across many frequencies. CB radio users using these amps can easily be heard on home stereo systems, and sometimes even toasters (as lore goes, from their common use in the 70s & 80s).
I'm left handed but hold my phone in my left hand. Regardless, it seems like this phone isn't designed for people like us (unless you have much longer thumbs than I do!)
"Unlock your Zenfone 9 by touching your thumb on the conveniently located sensor on the power button at the right side of the phone — it’s as simple as that. Just a touch, and you’re in! We’ve banished the hassle!" Banished my ass...
They could just build one phone with fingerprint sensor on both sides and allow on app chose which side works as unlock button and which one as volume button. I doubt those fingerprint buttons are very expensive. Esthetically would even would look better and more symmetric with 2 buttons on each side - 2 as volume button on one side, one as unlock button, another one custom shortcut, e.g. Open camera
I'm right handed and I too hold my phone with my left hand, but that's because I have to use my right hand to touch the screen. I have small hands and I'm unable to use my 74mm-wide phone one-handed. :(
