Best B&E roll ever?

Posted on June 30, 2010

When it comes to the perfect bacon and egg roll, this baby has to be a contender. It’s from a tiny, unassuming cafe called Crave (238 Oxford St, Bondi Junction), which I now visit religiously every weekend. Technically I’m not sure if this falls into the eggs benedict category (it has a poached egg and hollandaise sauce), but whatever it is, you have to give it a try. And they offer the only decent coffee in the area too!

My review of the iPad

Posted on June 29, 2010

This certainly isn’t one of the first reviews of the iPad (it’s probably the millionth), but after playing with it for the past few weeks I’ve now formed some concrete opinions about it. I’ve used it in front of the TV, on a plane, lying in bed, in meetings and for presentations. I’ve even use it as a substitute for my laptop (which was more by chance as my Vaio’s charger died).

I’m sure you’ve heard everyone – myself included – croon about the iPad and how it will change the way we use the Internet. And I’m sure you’ve also heard that behind all of the hype is a device that’s nothing more than a super-sized iPod Touch.

And I guess those polarising opinions sum up what the general population thinks of the device that Steve Jobs was spruiking as the greatest thing ever made (at least before he announced the iPhone 4). If you view the iPad in the literal sense, yes it is a XXL iPhone – without the ability to make calls. What makes the iPad so different is that it means you no longer need to associate the internet with having to sit at a desk in front of a computer. You can say laptops have done exactly that, but balancing one on your knees when sitting down or cradling it like a baby when standing up is cumbersome at best.

Thanks to its portability the entire media industry is looking at the iPad’s uptake with interest. With print magazines seemingly dying off one by one (sadly ASM copped one in the head too), publishers have been put into an uncomfortable jam; on one side the majority are facing dwindling sales, but at the opposite end the expansiveness of the internet means readers are resistant to pay to get their monthly fix online. There’s a lot of hope pinned to the back of the iPad, with publishers crossing their fingers that its comparable size and tangible interaction will make it the perfect print magazine substitute.

There’s a strong sense of irony that it’s Adobe – their Flash is famously barred from the iPad – who are paving the way for conventional publications to shift their InDesign documents into iPad-ready content. Many people have excitedly been waiting for Popular Science’s iPad publication, but I think they’ve overdone it. There are plenty of fancy touches, but overall it’s (frustratingly) counter-intuitive and incredibly laggy.

Having downloaded most of the iPad publications I can honestly say Wired is up there with the best. They’ve kept the interactivity to a minimum and have instead used the iPad to eliminate some of the inherent restrictions of conventional print design (such as needing to sacrifice image size to place multiple captions). Anyone who doubts the iPad’s potential needs to try Wired. I spent some time mucking around with paginations to understand what Wired have done, and it’s more a case of sticking to design values rather than letting loose like a kid with a new toy. Well done.

Sport & Style is a simple conversion of their print files with some interactive elements thrown in (which are outlined with marching ants). There’s also a ‘Text’ tab at the top to change the layout to text only, which is a handy feature when you want to do more reading and less finger flicking. By the way this DPS spread of Didier Drogba has to be my favourite opener of 2010. It’s near perfect.

Here’s The Australian’s effort. Their layout shows the pages in their entirety, which means there’s no need to scroll. I understand why they’ve done this – and I’m sure many readers will love this feature – but the downside is that it gives the feel of lacking content and substance.

ABC’s app is similar to BBC News’ in that they both depart from the traditional newspaper format and replace it with a more visual springboard to their other pages. ABC’s app is a tad too laggy for me. But that’s enough about iPad mags, I’m sure those who are looking at buying an iPad probably want to do more with it than read magazines.

Left: eBay released their iPad app the other week and so far it’s been a pleasure to use. Those who are mindful of how much they download may be concerned with how many images it loads after a search. I LOL’d when a search for Kindle netted ‘444′ results.
Right: Adobe’s Ideas app. Nuff said really.

Those who do a lot of overseas transfers - or indeed anyone who loves online shopping - will adore XE’s currency conversion app. You can have your most used currencies on the main page and there’s a simple calculator to tally up any sums.

While I’ve been using the iPad predominantly for work, I downloaded Need For Speed SHIFT to see how EA Games have made the most of the iPad. It’s pretty cool and immersive, but playing it while lying down gave me a little motion sickness.

Coming in at a hefty A$40 is the official Formula 1 app for iPad. Before the weekend’s Grand Prix I succumbed to curiosity and bought it. It’s an interesting app that provides another dimension to watching an F1 race but it’s impossible to justify the price considering half the season’s already over.

Seeing the position of each car on the track in real-time allows you to pick up on some interesting things before its mentioned by the commentators, like Hamilton’s drive-through penalty being completely useless.

Saved the best for last. My favourite app? Getty Images. They’ve really hit the nail on the head and for Getty Image’s clients it will be an absolute delight to use. And if you’ve ever read a newspaper article and wished there were more pictures, then all you have to do is click on this app and go straight to the source.

After using the iPad for nearly a month – well after that warm fuzzy feeling of buying an Apple product has worn off – I’ve reached a conclusion. The iPad isn’t a Beta or an HD DVD; it’s a device that is going to prove more than a fad. You see, people can live without an iPad – but only if they’ve never owned one. Once you’ve experienced travel without having to lug around a laptop computer, once you’ve binned the magazine pile that was next to the toilet, once you’ve been able to use it on-site with a client you will realise just how handy the iPad is.

But unfortunately it’s not all rosy as there are plenty of drawbacks as well. The first thing is obvious: the virtual keyboard is useless. Even in landscape mode, the iPad doesn’t lend itself well to anyone needing to type more than a paragraph. Although it’s large enough to touch type, I found it totally foreign. I even gave up trying to type this blog post on the iPad. I struggle to get 40wpm on the virtual keyboard, which is just more than half of what I’m used to on a normal keyboard. You’ll also encounter a higher number of typos too.

Those who intend to do any form of word processing – the Pages app is great by the way – then invest in an external keyboard. Trust me. I like the docking keyboard as its super sturdy and is a great way to prop up your iPad (while charging it), but I’ve found myself using the wireless keyboard as I can’t dock the iPad with the case on.

If there’s one thing I hate about Apple’s products it’s the need to abide by their draconian restrictions, and on more than one occasion I’ve had to resist the urge to thump my fist through the iPad’s pretty LED screen. It won’t let you download an attachment it doesn’t recognise (even though I have an app that can open the file), it displays empty cells (when they really are not) in certain Excel and Powerpoint files, and you have to convert videos into an obscure letter-box size.

Overall I’d give the iPad a 7 out of 10. Some of the people I’ve lent the iPad to have loved it, ooh-ing and ahh-ing with every swipe of their finger. But others have dismissed it as being too heavy to hold comfortably (something I agree with) or for not supporting Flash (four out of the five sites Anna tried to visit were Flash encoded).

There are some niggling bugs – certain areas of the touch screen are unresponsive in Safari – but once these are ironed out I’m sure many will see their iPad as a god-send, particularly those who can use it for work. And here’s the last thing I have to say if you’re considering getting an iPad: make sure you get the 3G version. If you’re going to spend your cash on a device that’s all about portability, then the last thing you want is to be tied down by having to be in a Wi-Fi zone (which are few and far between in Australia) to use the internet.

Chargrill Charlie’s

Posted on June 22, 2010

Tried Chargrill Charlie’s for the first time and I wasn’t disappointed.

When it comes to burgers I like them simple so Chargrill Charlie’s chicken burger is right up my alley. A marinated fillet with lettuce, tomato and a plain bun.

Half a chicken and somewhere in that pile of mess are three types of salad. Caeser (great), lemongrass chicken salad (average) and dumpling salad (a bit weird). The chicken was super juicy and the skin crispy… all it needed was some garlic sauce!

Wagyu weekend

Posted on June 21, 2010

Papz had been telling me about Victor Churchill, a high-end butcher shop that was almost like an art gallery. As I was in Woollahra on Saturday morning I popped in to have a peak. Papz wasn’t wrong: this butcher shop is insane. Meats carved behind glass walls and the prime cuts are proudly displayed like artworks. I couldn’t resist the urge to indulge in some wagyu. Although wagyu is considered expensive, if you compare it to eating out then it’s actually quite affordable. Two 250gm full blood 9+ steaks cost me $40.

The last time I cooked wagyu I screwed it up (I made the mistake of oiling the steaks as you would a normal piece of beef, which meant it pretty much deep fried in the pan), so I cooked these on the bbq over a slightly lower heat for 4mins on each side - just enough for the marbelised fat to melt!

Also picked up these wagyu burger patties which only cost $3 each.

Mind-blowingly delicious. You have to try these. Just make sure you don’t over-cook them.

Giving it a go

Posted on June 20, 2010

After much procrastination, I’ve now set up a Twitter account. I’m not sure if it’s going to stick or if it’ll end up like my relationship with Facebook. Anyway you can check it out at twitter.com/charleskha.

New toy to play with

Posted on June 20, 2010

While I wanted to spend the weekend sinking my teeth into this new toy (sadly it’s not mine), I ended up stuck in front of the computer instead. Hopefully next weekend then!

Mmm…

Posted on June 16, 2010

Stretched tea. Oh how I’ve missed you.

The Great Ocean Road

Posted on June 14, 2010

When it comes to awesome driving roads in Australia, you can’t look past the Great Ocean Road. A couple of years ago I drove my 350Z there with photographer Easton Chang, but due to a delay with the car transporter from Sydney it was a rushed photoshoot that meant I couldn’t really enjoy the drive. This time I dedicated the entire day to soaking it all up.

Driving there was a bit of a bitch though. Melbourne has some nice, wide freeways, so it’s incredibly frustrating that they have 100km/h speed limits. I almost fell asleep both to and from the GOR.

After driving through Torquay you’re met with a stunning 241km drive along the coast. In true Melbourne fashion the weather couldn’t decide if it wanted to rain or shine. So it would do each in ten minute increments.

Hard to keep your eye on the road when this is the scenery.

Nothing but the Southern Ocean.

Choppy seas.

Despite the rain there were plenty of nice cars out on the Great Ocean Road.

Plenty of motorcycles too.

While I’ve never been a huge fan of the new Mini Cooper S, I think you’ll be hard pressed to find a car better suited to putter around the GOR.

Looks like the island from LOST. Here is yet another shower rolling in from the sea.

Decided to turn around and head back just before I reached the Twelve Apostles, and this turned out to be a blessing in disguise. For 30km of the return leg there wasn’t a single a car in sight, and it was truly exhilarating to experience the Great Ocean Road without being held up by traffic. The roads are smooth and flowing, so you quickly build up a rhythm as you dive left and right through the 3rd and 4th gear sweepers. In terms of memorable moments I’ve had behind the wheel of a car, this is certainly one of them.

Andrew’s Hamburgers

Posted on June 14, 2010

Being a bit of a burger fanatic I’ve been meaning to try out Andrew’s Hamburgers. So as soon as I landed in Melbourne I made a bee line to Albert Park.

Andrew’s Hamburgers is a tiny, unassuming shop that hasn’t changed much over the decades.

Those who like old school Aussie milk bar burgers will love Andrew’s; it’s probably one of the best I’ve ever had. You can’t go wrong with quality ingredients and freshly cooked patties. The burger with the lot cost $9.50.

A Do Not Disturb break

Posted on June 14, 2010

Things have been pretty crazy for me and so the long weekend couldn’t have come at a better time. My last proper holiday was in 2006, so at the last minute I decided to cash in on some credit card points to have a break down in Melbourne. No emails, no work calls, no meetings, no obligations - a couple days of being unplugged from it all and doing absolutely nothing. Here’s the Mini Cooper S I hired.

Mini’s have a tiny boot; my weekend bags just fit!

Stayed at the Crown Metropol hotel which looks like something from a sci-fi movie.

Melbourne’s a very arty city. This is a cool installation in the hotel’s lobby.

Enormous room on the 26th floor brought a smile to my face!

Neat partitioned bathroom with sliding walls.

Crown Metropol’s king sized beds are hard to fault; as are the luxurious pillows.

Blacks, whites and chrome are the colours of choice in Metropol.

View from my room.

Stunning at night.

Room service from Gordon Ramsey’s Maze Restaraunt. The brioche bun rocked!

With my phone on silent I spent most of the time lounging around watching the World Cup - which is ironically what I did when on holidays in 06.

Whenever I got sick of being in the hotel room I’d jump into the Mini and go for a drive.

Continental breakfast at Maze.

Although I was in Melbourne - the shopping heart of Australia - I didn’t do much shopping. I was hoping I’d stumble across a pair of Submarine Slims but instead settled for a couple of pairs of other G-Stars.

So geeky it’s cool

Posted on June 10, 2010

This isn’t a Canon 70-200mm zoom lens; it’s actually a thermos for my coffee! Thinking of getting the 24-105 replica to use as a pen holder.

P.S. Don’t buy the Nespresso coffee machine. It sucks so bad I want to go back to our old coffee machine.

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