Oh, and if you are bringing up kid
1. We dont have metal detectors on our school doors, there is no need
2. We don't have school shootings, mall shootings etc
3. There are huge opportunities for outdoor activities
4. Its and easy country to get around in
5. Education system is one of the best in the world
6. No one has ever gone bankrupt through medical bills, we have universal healthcare that works quite well.
Weta workshops functions extremely well in Wellington
Actually, we are still Nuke free inspire of the pressure from the UK, Australia, USA, France.
And Dotcom is still fighting his extradition years later and may succeed, our judiciary is far less a political appointment than the USA.
Actually our sales tax is 15% on both goods and services. .
However on the plus side, for consumers prices MUST be advertised/displayed tax inclusive, what you see is what you pay.. .
Healthcare is universal, you are not shelling out $$ on health insurance, and the health outcomes are pretty much the same as a the US.. .
We have almost no import tariffs , but if you bring in something over NZ$400-600 you can be asked to pay sales tax (15%) on it.. .
In most metrics (Welfare, health, education, freedom of speech, democracy, corruption, etc etc etc) New Zealand ranks highly, and sporting wise we do exceptionally well given our (relatively) low population (less than 5 million)..
A Kiwi is a protected flightless bird in NZ, where as a "Cock or two" is what every Aussie wants
Australia's favourite girls name is Baaa-baaa-ra
Australians have some of the most beautiful women on earth, until they start talking.
Australia started as a prison colony, so everyone was surprised that they did not invent the cell phone.
In NZ we call then pubs, in Australia they are called Bars, it make them feel more at home apparently.
We were surprised though they did not spell them Baa's
Australia has Beer with XXXX on it because they could not spell Beer, they are one up on the Canadians though
who have beer with only XXX on it, so we know Aussies can count higher than Canadians "eh"
Australia has some of the most venomous creatures on earth, and that just the Sheila's from Sydney
If you want sheep shaggers, go to Australia.
They have yet to explain why Koalas have STIs
And Rolf Harris (in Prison in the UK for behaving like Trump) sang a popular Aussie song all about tying a kangaroo down mate....WTF????
What executive (read idiot) thought that the main reason for "linear tv" to fail was a great idea to implement simply because it was on Youtube.
Channels....BAH.
Thanks but no thanks, but for less $$ I will stick to Netflix and watch "Programs" when I want, as I want, Where I want and all advert (and google tracking) free.
And if you are travelling, get a "Three" prepay SIM from the UK, there are no roaming charges for most countries you want to travel to and its a damn sight cheaper than trying to buy a prepay for those countries. We bought one, threw it into the iPad and was able to use it via wifi tethering for the other devices we had with us.
This worked out MUCH cheaper than the crappy wifi we were offered for a fee is US hotels
"roaming" charges are a collusion between the carriers to screw over users with excessive charges.
Or more likely the media has found that producing click bait article gets more readers and therefore more advertising revenue.
The other notable thing is that technology is now more likely to be covered by a reporter who write about technology rather than an engineer who also wrote.
One can produce in-depth analysis, test suites and a comparison between products, the other can rewrite the manufacturers information sheet and claim it as their own.
Technology writers have become the McDonalds of reporting, cheap, quick, bland, low value.
The Brits KNOW that Brexit is NOT going to go well with the EU, its NOT going to be "keep calm and carry on" , so the Theresa May government is desperate to ensure trade with the USA does not suffer under Trump. So what she has done is appeal to Trumps petty vanity, and whore out the royal family, I wonder even if some minor royal will be sacrificed so Trump can say he "Bagged a Royal".
Actually one plus for me is that when I buy from the App Store I can LEGALLY install it on multiple computers I own.
Yes, I own Apps I have bought directly too, but these are typically licensed for one computer, yes there are exceptions and yes there are "family packs" offering 5 licences but they tend to charge more for this.
There is also the issue of serial numbers, don't need them for the App Store, so this make it great for disorganised people.
And , for unknown Apps, there is a greater degree of trust in the Apps that come from the App Store.
Apples 30% is not excessive, back when you had to buy from a bricks and mortar store the store generally took 50% of the retail price or more. Look at how often you see them discounting by HUGE percentages and even then they are making money. Consumables are a prime example, batteries, SD cards, AV cables, I buy from a store with cost + 10% and save typically 75% off standard retail.
Given that Apple does not charge developers a fee for free apps even though they have the same costs as pay for Apps then there is value there for both consumer and developer.
I wonder how many of these "subscriptions" are effectively free, given away by MS to students because their educational institute has a licence, and its not just the student , its staff as well who are able to get a free subscription and install it on 5 machines they own.
I think there is a VERY big gap between total number of subscription and ones that Microsoft actually make any income from.
Well I hope the "retaliation" by the rest of the world is "If Trumps wants to visit our country, he must sign onto the sex offenders register"
Trump is basically the kind of person he is trying to keep out of America.
Judging by how much US people bitch about their ISP, I am guessing we get better speeds than most US citizens.
The Fibre links to the rest of the world are actually not too bad, and there is possibly going to be another fibre put in within a couple of years, however there is still spare capacity on exiting cables.
Doing file transfers (Diptrace 3D models for OSX a 1.9GB file) I hit 5MB/s and averaged over 3MB/s while the missus was watching netflix, all on VDSL
I get Fibre June next year apparently.
And Weta workshops does not seem to be suffering by being here in NZ.
The most data I have downloaded according to my ISP is just shy of 2TB in one month, and we have not been less than 600GB for the last couple of years.
"harder to layoff foreign workers overseas than in the US"
Actually the reality is the law recognises that workers have rights, they are not just a disposable item. Its called treating people with respect.
Perhaps that is a large part of what is wrong with the USA, nothing happens unless it is backed up by the threat of force, be it a threat of violence or job dismissal.
We now see Trump wanting the same thing, the right to kill any trade deal with 30 days notice.
To me, that makes trade with the US high risk, and with high risk comes higher prices (selling) and lower prices (buying) to compensate for that higher risk, and it is ALWAYS trying to find a better replacement so you can opt out just as quickly. It certainly makes other trading partners (China, EU, etc) a better long term choice.
The US is already a highly protectionist market
Slashdot Mirror
So, we should see advertising billboards along roads removed because they are specifically designed to grab peoples attention.
Oh, and if you are bringing up kid
1. We dont have metal detectors on our school doors, there is no need
2. We don't have school shootings, mall shootings etc
3. There are huge opportunities for outdoor activities
4. Its and easy country to get around in
5. Education system is one of the best in the world
6. No one has ever gone bankrupt through medical bills, we have universal healthcare that works quite well.
Weta workshops functions extremely well in Wellington
Actually, we are still Nuke free inspire of the pressure from the UK, Australia, USA, France. And Dotcom is still fighting his extradition years later and may succeed, our judiciary is far less a political appointment than the USA.
Actually our sales tax is 15% on both goods and services.
.
.
.
.
However on the plus side, for consumers prices MUST be advertised/displayed tax inclusive, what you see is what you pay..
Healthcare is universal, you are not shelling out $$ on health insurance, and the health outcomes are pretty much the same as a the US..
We have almost no import tariffs , but if you bring in something over NZ$400-600 you can be asked to pay sales tax (15%) on it..
In most metrics (Welfare, health, education, freedom of speech, democracy, corruption, etc etc etc) New Zealand ranks highly, and sporting wise we do exceptionally well given our (relatively) low population (less than 5 million)..
A Kiwi is a protected flightless bird in NZ, where as a "Cock or two" is what every Aussie wants
....lol....???
Australia's favourite girls name is Baaa-baaa-ra
Australians have some of the most beautiful women on earth, until they start talking.
Australia started as a prison colony, so everyone was surprised that they did not invent the cell phone.
In NZ we call then pubs, in Australia they are called Bars, it make them feel more at home apparently.
We were surprised though they did not spell them Baa's
Australia has Beer with XXXX on it because they could not spell Beer, they are one up on the Canadians though who have beer with only XXX on it, so we know Aussies can count higher than Canadians "eh"
Australia has some of the most venomous creatures on earth, and that just the Sheila's from Sydney
More
Well Weta Workshops seems to be going just fine.
If you want sheep shaggers, go to Australia.
They have yet to explain why Koalas have STIs
And Rolf Harris (in Prison in the UK for behaving like Trump) sang a popular Aussie song all about tying a kangaroo down mate....WTF????
A company with the integrity that Samsung has..... I don't believe it /S
What executive (read idiot) thought that the main reason for "linear tv" to fail was a great idea to implement simply because it was on Youtube.
Channels....BAH.
Thanks but no thanks, but for less $$ I will stick to Netflix and watch "Programs" when I want, as I want, Where I want and all advert (and google tracking) free.
Whats next the "Google Buggy Whip" ?
And if you are travelling, get a "Three" prepay SIM from the UK, there are no roaming charges for most countries you want to travel to and its a damn sight cheaper than trying to buy a prepay for those countries. We bought one, threw it into the iPad and was able to use it via wifi tethering for the other devices we had with us.
This worked out MUCH cheaper than the crappy wifi we were offered for a fee is US hotels
"roaming" charges are a collusion between the carriers to screw over users with excessive charges.
So so looking forward to "This is Ubuntu calling, we have detected your machine is running a virus......."
Or more likely the media has found that producing click bait article gets more readers and therefore more advertising revenue. The other notable thing is that technology is now more likely to be covered by a reporter who write about technology rather than an engineer who also wrote. One can produce in-depth analysis, test suites and a comparison between products, the other can rewrite the manufacturers information sheet and claim it as their own. Technology writers have become the McDonalds of reporting, cheap, quick, bland, low value.
The Brits KNOW that Brexit is NOT going to go well with the EU, its NOT going to be "keep calm and carry on" , so the Theresa May government is desperate to ensure trade with the USA does not suffer under Trump. So what she has done is appeal to Trumps petty vanity, and whore out the royal family, I wonder even if some minor royal will be sacrificed so Trump can say he "Bagged a Royal".
Actually one plus for me is that when I buy from the App Store I can LEGALLY install it on multiple computers I own. Yes, I own Apps I have bought directly too, but these are typically licensed for one computer, yes there are exceptions and yes there are "family packs" offering 5 licences but they tend to charge more for this. There is also the issue of serial numbers, don't need them for the App Store, so this make it great for disorganised people. And , for unknown Apps, there is a greater degree of trust in the Apps that come from the App Store. Apples 30% is not excessive, back when you had to buy from a bricks and mortar store the store generally took 50% of the retail price or more. Look at how often you see them discounting by HUGE percentages and even then they are making money. Consumables are a prime example, batteries, SD cards, AV cables, I buy from a store with cost + 10% and save typically 75% off standard retail. Given that Apple does not charge developers a fee for free apps even though they have the same costs as pay for Apps then there is value there for both consumer and developer.
I said that when Trump first mentioned the wall. Walls not only keep Mexicans out, they keep Americans in, Canada may want to look at this.
I wonder how many of these "subscriptions" are effectively free, given away by MS to students because their educational institute has a licence, and its not just the student , its staff as well who are able to get a free subscription and install it on 5 machines they own. I think there is a VERY big gap between total number of subscription and ones that Microsoft actually make any income from.
France should ask for the Statue of Liberty back, the US is no longer worthy of having it.
Well I hope the "retaliation" by the rest of the world is "If Trumps wants to visit our country, he must sign onto the sex offenders register" Trump is basically the kind of person he is trying to keep out of America.
Weta Workshops
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
No, New Zealand exists outside of Auckland. We are not sure what Auckland actually is any more, but part of New Zealand.... tough call.
Ahh...Aussies...
Yet to explain why Koalas have STDs
And they sing some song about tying a Kangaroo down mate
Mind you, it was (is?) a prison colony, so it probably started when some poor Aussie creature sniffed a bar of soap
Judging by how much US people bitch about their ISP, I am guessing we get better speeds than most US citizens.
The Fibre links to the rest of the world are actually not too bad, and there is possibly going to be another fibre put in within a couple of years, however there is still spare capacity on exiting cables.
Doing file transfers (Diptrace 3D models for OSX a 1.9GB file) I hit 5MB/s and averaged over 3MB/s while the missus was watching netflix, all on VDSL
I get Fibre June next year apparently.
And Weta workshops does not seem to be suffering by being here in NZ.
The most data I have downloaded according to my ISP is just shy of 2TB in one month, and we have not been less than 600GB for the last couple of years.
Wow, I must be years ahead of the advertisers because I dont see any ads at all.
Combine a really big hosts file with ghostery and adblock + and they are gone baby gone.
Sites that block me because I run an ad blocker, fine by me, I go elsewhere, I shop elsewhere.
"harder to layoff foreign workers overseas than in the US" Actually the reality is the law recognises that workers have rights, they are not just a disposable item. Its called treating people with respect. Perhaps that is a large part of what is wrong with the USA, nothing happens unless it is backed up by the threat of force, be it a threat of violence or job dismissal. We now see Trump wanting the same thing, the right to kill any trade deal with 30 days notice. To me, that makes trade with the US high risk, and with high risk comes higher prices (selling) and lower prices (buying) to compensate for that higher risk, and it is ALWAYS trying to find a better replacement so you can opt out just as quickly. It certainly makes other trading partners (China, EU, etc) a better long term choice. The US is already a highly protectionist market