I'll keep publishing

Google announced Google Wave yesterday, described as ‘what would email look like if it was invented today’

Here’s my own bullet point summary;

• Moves Google along the real time web tech path
• Web based, close to real time collaborative messaging and content editing
• Desktop app user experience
• Browser part is Web 2.0+ tech based, that is extensive use of AJAX, HTML 5 etc
• Probably harder to create spam for as they underlying protocol is more secure
• Open sourced, mostly, protocol and some demo code available
• Everyone can run their own Wave servers
• Plugin architecture to add things like Twitter messaging.

You’ve all heard me bash on about XMPP, well Google Waves underlying transport protocol is XMPP with an open extension.
- http://www.waveprotocol.org/whitepapers/google-wave-architecture

In my opinion this will probably replace GMail. Wave’s addressing syntax is probably XMPP so GMail users will already have an account on the GMail domain.

In fact if the whole planet moved to Wave we’d just use our current email addresses, eg I’m already dbanes@cleartext.com on email and XMPP IM so I’d be the same on our corporate Wave server.

Main concern I have is bandwidth and message overhead, there was a lot of realtime data transfer going on in the demo, apparently at a character level, which is madness really.

We’ll have to hoppe that as the dev team is based here in Sydney (the Google Maps guys) that they’ve factored in poorly connected communities.

It’s a while since I’ve posted anything car related. Eric Bana talks about his car, includes comments from people like Clarkson and Leno. Someone reckons Targa is the most dangerous form of motorsport, wish I’d heard that BEFORE we did three of them!

Classic rally car.

Madness, Jay Leno’s jet bike, cool sound.

Well, I did a day trip to Canberra yesterday, 5:30am start and got back at 10:45pm. Spent most of the day working on a Second Life build with a client.

80’s Rover SD1 rallying…

… I want one!

I’ve been spending some time on YouTube, hunting for car stuff. This tarmac rally crash is a graphic illustration of the wrong speed in a fast corner, and why a roll cage is mandatory.

I’ve decided to relist my Targa Tasmania 1999 in car video, it’s here;

http://davidbanes.com/videos/

This one is good for Windows streaming, although the quality is a bit poor.

http://davidbanes.com/videos/Targa99-Cressy-Cable.asf

Lot’s of motorsport today, the Bathurst 1000 and Japanese F1 Grand Prix. Which reminds me, I must book tickets for the A1 Grand Prix in November.

I just had to post this clip from Targa Tasmania, I think it’s from 2005. The vision and sound sum up why people compete in Targa, street racing is still the best:) I ‘borrowed’ it from this web site

I setup a new web site for the Ford RS Owners Club tonight. It didn’t take long, 4 hours maybe. The guys need a way to easily update the content and a simple CMS was easy to setup.

It’s done more than 200,000 kilometers and needs something fixed every couple of months, but it’s comfortable and ten years old. So we aren’t worried about the odd scratch, and don’t owe any money on it

Mark Webber made 5th place today at the Melbourne Formual 1 Grand Prix in Melbourne, Australia today. He was running 3rd for a while.

The first race of the Formula 1 season is nearly here. Everyone’s heading to the Melbourne Grand Prix

Car Sold – New Owner Glenn’s Web Site is here

Pictures from the RS Owners Club meeting, where UNX 800 won Best Presented Mk 1 RS Escort, Colin Bond(famous Australian rally driver) presented the trophies.

Colin Bond, myself and UNX 800, Best Presented MK 1 RS Escort.

UNX 800 and other Twin Cams.

Mark’s red twin cam.

Other cars… Fords of course.

Mk2 RS2000’s.

BDA in a Mk2 RS2000, where can I get an RS 1600?

Ford Sierra Cosworth.

Ford Cosworth Saphire, 2lt Turbo, four wheel drive, I remember the Police using these in the UK!

The trophy, Best Presented Mk 1 RS Escort

I’ve posted some pictures from last weekends event . I think one of the TV networks attended but I’ve no idea when it’s going to be on the box, so keep an eye on the TV guides.

We went to the second annual Porsche Mt Buller Sprint this weekend. We flew to Melbourne then headed north west for three hours by rental car.

We drove all the way up to the top of the mountain and stayed in Mt Buller village where there were some good spectating points, great hotels and food stalls.

It’s a three day event with the prologue on day one followed by two days of 4 runs up the hill, each 16 kilometers and rising 1800+metres. The only thing we’ll do differently next year is take the bus to one of the spectator points further down the mountain, or enter a car

Well I finally got The Motorsport Calendar up and running, thanks to ExtCalendar 2. If you’re interested go to http://www.motorsportcalendar.com/

I just watched Channel Ten’s one hour program about Targa New Zealand. The event looks good. I like the fact that the regulations for the cars are a bit more relaxed, except around the safety equipment.

The second annual Porsche Mt Buller Sprint looks like being an intersting event, I’m going to pop down there on one of the three days and see if it’s worth putting an entry in for 2006. That’s far enough away for me to get the TR7 V8 sorted out.

Car Sold – New Owner Glenn’s Web Site is here

The Escort Twin cam used the Lotus Cortina trive train with S/E cams giving 115bhp from 1558cc. A close ratio four speed gearbox and uprated suspension. The cars built in Australia where from kits supplied from the UK.

They were built for a few months longer in Australia than the UK, production stopped in late 1971 in England but continued in Australia until 1972. The cars where rebadged as a GT1600’s, more in an effort to reduce insurance premiums than increase sales; it appears the Twin Cam Escort was the WRX of its day.:)

This car is almost standard, it’s missing the brake booster for some reason, but then it’s not marked on the compliance plate, has a later RS steering wheel and a lower final drive, possible a 105E rear axle.

The famous Lotus badge, this car was probably sold with a GT1600 badge on the front wings and the Lotus badge has been added to teh rear. Purists here in Australia value the ‘original’ earlier Twin Cams more than these GT1600’s, although it could be argued that a good GT1600 1972 is rarer than a 1971 Twin Cam.

The inside, from this shot it could be an Escort Mexico or any other RS Mk1 Escort, I’ll try and locate an original steering wheel.

Here’s what you’ve been waiting for, the 1588cc Lotus Developed twin cam engine. This engine was based on the pre-crossflow Ford block and at 115bhp there’s not a lot more power to be had without compromising reliability.

Interestingly the car only weighs approx 800kg so it’s not much slower off the line than my Toyota Celica GT4 which has about 220bhp but weighs nearly 1500kg’s, until it rains that is:)

Many thanks to various RS owners for helping get this information accurate, especially Danny Mischok.