I'm hoping to get either of these cheap NZ Nokias working with Gnokii. Suggestions welcome!

The Vodafone-branded Nokia 1110i is an entry-level GSM phone. It has what looks like a micro-USB connector on the bottom, but I think it's actually smaller than micro-USB and looks like a different shape. (I need to go check this at a local tech shop - don't have the cable here - do you recognise it?)

*#0000# prints "N1110i v6.40 / 12-01-07 / RH-93 / (c)NMP / Language: MA"

The Telecom-branded Nokia 2125 is an entry-level CDMA phone. It connects and IDs using my (non-Nokia) CA-42 USB cable, but I haven't found the correct Gnokii config for it yet (or it's not yet supported). It has a model ID of RH-71. *#0000# prints only "Nokia 2125" on screen - no other info is displayed. The only languages available on this particular handset are English and Indonesian.

Also on the workbench are a Nokia 3100 (which appears to handle Gnokii flawlessly ... but never gets a network connection because the aerial has been damaged) and a few others which show less potential (no handy-dandy connectors).

moments ago, our lives were saved by the heroic actions of tui in a midnight battle between loyal CANINE and fierce POSSUM

We had returned from a pleasant dinner with carl and tsering. Having retired to bed the three of us lay in bed unsuspecting.

Unaware that mortal danger scratched its way up the stairs. TERROR etc.

In the dark of the night a terrible possum crept into the safety of our house. One moment, Tui lay sleeping.

(Actually, I was lying there wondering why he hadn't gone to see to some drunk kids wandering past in the road outside. I must be getting a bit reactionary in my old age. Git ma gun! Dem kids outside agin!)

The next he sprang to his feet and raced downstairs. A brawl ensued in the living room, and when the dust had settled a possum had fallen. CRUNCH CRUNCH.

Enticed by the smell of human baby sleeping, this VICIOUS CRITTER had the temerity to burst into our safe haven.

The vicious New Zealand possum is widely feared, for once they have svent of a human prey they rarely desist until they have done their worst.

However this foul beast had not banked on brave Tui.

And so we owe Tui our lives once more. Tui will be awarded the Glorious Bone of Ecological Consideration for his efforts tonight, and has snacked mightily on salami which is his flavourite.

Previously Tui has also despatched two possums and three rats. Thanks, Tui. We owe ya.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=c0lHzcq82tY

i'm gonna play to my kids to get them to sleep one day. maybe i'll hit stop before the "goodnight from channel two" voiceover at the end though :)

My requests for v1.4 of the excellent Slife app:

• As well as automatically discovering what apps I use, automatically hide the apps I don't use in any given day / week / month view. It would make the information much more concise.
• Extract a sensible colour for each app from its current icon, so I can easily match the lines to what I see in my dock.
• Activities are great, if you remember to update them. Think about querying the user for what they've done in the last hour. If there's a plugin-able typing break software for OSX, talk to that.
• If not, think about making a plugin-able typing break software for OSX which does the above, because this would be soooo close to a perfect combo (in my book as well).
• If you close the distance between what you're doing and generating output that can drive invoicing, you will have a killer business app.

I may update this list ... if I think of anything else ...

This critter crawled out from under our fridge. I was pretty scared of him at first, but at that point I had him mistaken for a huge fly (I've seen 'em this size in the South Island). He's not a fly.

video of our lovely specimen

Fired the pics off to my auntie (an entomologist with hortresearch), she asked Jo Berry (Aotearoa's hymenoptera expert), who told us it's a spider-hunting wasp, and we should set him free and let the spiders take their chances.

Best of luck to them all, I say!

• Update: Te Ara calls this wasp a "Large Black Hunter". Cool!

the winner for this week's "bestest and most pointless nag message" goes to ... the industry leader in pointless nag messages.