Useful comparison of CI brands

This is a useful comparison of CI brands

http://funnyoldlife.wordpress.com/cochlear-implants/choosing-a-brand/

In NZ we don't have access to Advanced Bionics yet.

What this article doesn't capture is the usability of the CIs. Cochlear leads here. For parents with little kids, this can be quite important.

Nucleus Freedom Instruction Videos

Cochlear have really upgraded their collateral and website. Here are all the instruction videos for Katya's Nucleus Freedom Processors.

http://www.youtube.com/user/CochlearAmericas?feature=mhum#p/c/4F3EF3B20A1E8614/1/v_NQYLqTBlg

Lunch

Bye Bye Truck

Huge moment this morning.

Katya finally said Bye Bye Truck. This has been a goal for our SLT and us.

bye by cat!

This morning Katya said Bye Bye Cat. This is a huge step from one word utterances. But the bye bye phrase is big because we have been working on that a lot.

She is saying lots of two word phrases now like yellow flower.

It's very exciting as it is the first step to sentences.


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Its been a year!

In a few days time it will have been a year since I changed from being a paid worker to being a full time stay at home dad.

I have had a little bit of time to reflect on the last year. It seems like time has gone very fast and things have changed considerably (for the better) since Oct 2009. I am incredibly grateful for those who have walked with me (in one way or another) over this last year.

It will be interesting to see what the next year holds.

2degrees and my iPad...

I was contacted by 2degrees after my recent posts.

They now have a page on setting up ipads. I'm not sure if it was there when I was trying to do so. I certainly couldn't find it. Anyway... here it is.

http://www.2degreesmobile.co.nz/microsim

They describe the process as a bit fiddly. It certainly is.

For me, I will convert my Vodafone SIM to a micro-SIM and use an adaptor ($7 on Trademe) to run it normally in my iPhone. If I need 3G in my iPad (like a Xmas when we go to the inlaws) I will swap it into the iPad.

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More 2degrees progress

I think I have finally had success with getting 2degrees working on my iPad. I had to put the micro-SIM in my iPhone and add some credit and purchase the data pack. I got a confirmation txt.

I also rang up and got a web password txt to my iPhone.

I then returned the SIM to my iPad.

In short you absolutely NEED an iPhone to set up an iPad with 2degrees systems. This is pretty poor and they need to sort this out.

My experience with 2degrees continues to be poor. The promised $10 credit hasn't been applied. When I got the web password I asked to talk to a supervisor. But they could not speak to me then and were to ring back later. Someone rang back later. Unfortunately I can not understand their ascent so i don't know their name and they didn't leave a phone number.

The 2degrees web site is not very good. It does not show transactions immediately. I still need to confirm that I have bought a data pack.

So.... I continue to recommend avoiding 2degrees until they mature their systems. I've also had recent problems with XT as well. While technically both 2degrees and XT are more suited to Apple products, Vodafone seems to provide a better implementation.


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Getting an iPad going on 2degrees

I have previously posted on getting an iPad going on the 2degrees network. Essentially I said it was easy.

I have now found that it is not.

It is easy to get going on a casual rate but that costs a fortune. It has proved to be almost impossible to get a iPad going on one of their well priced data plans.

The process seems to rely on you owning an iPhone 4.

The problem is the txt messaging SIM application that is required to buy the data pack. It has no way of receiving a txt. This means you don't get a txt confirming you have bought the pack. It also means you don't receive the txt saying the purchase of the pack failed because the moment you connected the SIM it chews 1cent of the credit meaning you don't have enough credit to buy the pack.

To check that the purchase of the pack is successful, you need to go on their website. However, you can not get a password to the website because the password gets txt to your iPad (and remember it can't receive txt)!!!

You can't get a password through their call centre either.

Basically you are stuffed. You have to buy the card AND more credit.

That doesn't seem such a big deal... If you know about it in advance. You can buy credit via their phone system.

That's if your name isn't Sym... In which case your credit card number is rejected by their system!

My only option is to buy vouchers from a service station... Which is pretty third world. Frankly I'm not sure it is worth the effort.

My current recommendation is to avoid 2degrees for ipads because they don't have their processes sorted.

I also wonder about their customer service. When, after 2 weeks, we finally got to the reason why I couldn't connect (despite regularly chasing them) and established that really their processes were stuffed for iPads, they gave me a $10 credit. This of course prompted me to try to add credit and then expose other faults in their system. A better customer service approach would have been to get me (customer) to the point I was trying to get to. That would have been a good customer experience... Not a poor one like I have had.

I won't be moving my iPhone from Vodafone anytime soon. Vodafone have looked after me well over the years.


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Comparison of CI brands

Here is a useful link comparing the different CIs

http://dus28.grange.psu.edu/CIChoices/CIComparison.htm


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Location:Rosalind St,Wellington,New Zealand

A further review of the iPad

Well I have had my iPad for a while now. So here are a few observations:

>it takes a month of Sundays to charge unless you use the supplied charger. This is a pain because I like to use my computer for charging as it means I have the comfort of knowing it has been backed up

>the keyboard is pretty good. One finger typing is great. Multiple-finger typing causes some issues.

>the screen and sound are awesome.

>I can't work out why you would get the 3G model if you already own an iPhone.

I would fully recommend for someone who already has a laptop. It is not a laptop replacement. It would also be good for people who are technologically challenged. It is pretty hard to see how grandma could break this.


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Location:Kandy Crescent,Wellington,New Zealand

Getting 2 degrees going on an iPad 3G

There is a lot of mis-information around about how to get an iPad 3G going on the 2 degrees network. My iPad is working beautifully on the 2 degrees network so I thought I would write down how to do this.

1. Buy a 2 degrees micro-SIM. These come with $20 credit on and cost $20.
2. Put it in your iPad.
3. Go to Settings/Cellular Data/SIM Applications/Send a txt and use your $20 credit to buy a data pack. You do this by txting 'buy 512mb' to 233.

That's it. Simple.

if you ring 2 degrees they will tell you that you need to activate the micro-SIM in an iPhone 4. Its rubbish.

If you talk to DSE, they will tell you there are micro-SIMs for iPhones which are different than the ones for iPads (and they don't have any iPad one left). Its rubbish.

It just works. And at least in Wellington the coverage seems good and strong.

The only criticism is the txt interface is awful. I mean truly utterly awful. But if that is the only issue, then its pretty good.

First impressions of an iPad

I like my iPad. It is very fast. The screen is lovely. And if you already have a laptop in the family it is perfect.

The bits it don't like are applications that are meant for iPhones that just blow up bigger. They go chunky and in some cases are unreadable.

That aside, you can't fault it. The keyboard is great. The web browser is just ridiculously fast. The video playback is just beautiful. And reading stuff on the screen is just lovely.

There are some really cool apps for it. And lots of the good iPhone apps have been updated to work properly on it. The BIG exceptions are facebook and Skype. These guys need to sort there stuff out.

While I have a 3G iPad I have yet to decide if I will connect it that way. Probably not. But the fact that you can is pretty cool.

So... Give me a few weeks and I'll do a full review. But it is looking good so far.


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A quick test blog from new iPad

No chickens were hurt in the making of this picture.


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Location:Rosalind St,,New Zealand

Katya says her name

Katya said her name for the first time.

Katya's Eye Op

Ok. So today started at 4am when for some strange reason Katya woke up. This was great because we got to give her breakfast before her fast started at 6am. At 11am we went to hospital for her eye straightening operation. She came out of recovery around 3.30pm. She then went back to sleep in the Day Ward and we had to awake her at 4.30pm. She currently can't open her eyes because they are too sore. Hopefully tomorrow her eyes won't be as sore and she can open them. Tonight I will need to sleep in her room as I suspect she will wake up hungry.

Romans 5:1-4

Listening Progress

Yesterday Katya and I were playing listening games. At one point Katya stopped and pointed to her ears indicating she was hearing something and then signed a bird. She then pointed outside where indeed there was a bird chirping.

The bird was not noticeably loud.

We have been seeing a lot more environmental sound being discerned recently. No adjustments to the processors. So it must be a brain thing.

Good Clean Teeth

Katya and Larissa are really starting to do a lot of things together. It has been noticable since Larissa has started to walk.

Cochlear Article

http://missoulian.com/news/local/article_59c68da0-6d36-11df-8961-001cc4c03286.html

Larissa Walks

Interesting link of CI kid

http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/health/A_World_of_Silence_and_Hearing_Dallas-Fort_Worth.html

I am famous! This is the launch of the Rugby World Cup - me with the Webb Ellis Trophy (Rob will be jealous!)

Dinner... PIE!

Larissa said "Katya" tonight

On the waterfront today

Yes... That is a helicopter on the back. Very nice.

Walking is coming...

Katya started walking very soon after she started sliding along walls. Looks like Larissa won't be too far off.

Larissa's One Year Old Birthday Celebration

More Painting

My mum was down which allowed me to finally get onto our room and finish the revision to the stair way.

Rooms a bit of a tip at the moment. Just getting settled back in.

Easter

The Aussies are here

We went to the market at Frank Kitts park this morning. Each time we go to the waterfront something interesting is happening. Today the helicopters were being cleaned and two ANZAC frigates from the Aussies were in. A friendly Aussie chick took this for us.

Stair Climbing

It is amazing to think that it was just over a month ago that Larissa stood up for the first time. Now she is climbing stairs, cruising the furniture and occasionally stands unaided without realising it.

Nehemiah 13

Romans 2:1-16

Finally got a double trolley

Another bacon and egg pie

This is an eleven egg and bottle of cream bacon and egg pie. I honey glazed the bacon too.

Yes! We actually got one...

I was sure we had missed the season. Despite having heaps of green tomatos. But one day of good sun produced one tomato!

Bacon and Egg Pie

Dinner tonight. Someone gave me a hand.

Katya ReMAP

Katya had a remap while we were in CHCH a few weeks back. It has made a huge difference. She is really progressing.

Today she started referring to an Apple as "App". A few other new words are trickling out. She has really shuffled on with her comprehension.

More surprises

This morning I went to see why Larissa was not asleep and found this...

Someone had decided they could get themselves up and that jumping up and down was more fun than sleeping. The cot height has now been dropped!

We also have two new teeth, spotted this afternoon.

She has also changed to preferring all fours crawling over the last couple of days. So lots happening.

Some Larissa Moments

This morning I was taking a wall out at church. Larissa was playing in the little pen. She was sitting. For the first time she lifted herself up to a standing position.
Last night Larissa put food into her hair. In the process of cleaning it I had a little fun with a new hair style!
Sisters engrossed with Paddington

All fours

Today was the first time Larissa crawled on all fours!!!

Larissa Standing

Larissa Crawling

Watties Simply Create

Watties had their Simply Create range on special and as we are going to CHCH I thought I would give it a go to see if it would be suitable for use when we travel.

There is not much to say. I tried the Chicken with Apricot Sauce. I added some veges and rice. Even that didn't save it.

It was simply foul! If you are thinking of trying it... don't. I was struggling not to throw up from the smell.

My homemade food (ie cook something and stick blend it, then freeze it into ice cubes) is just in a whole different league.

Cauli number two

My broccoli that wasn't

I planted some broccoli a while back and it grew and grew but no sign of any heads. Then all of a sudden we got this... a cauliflower! A small cauliflower.

So... cauliflower cheese for dinner tonight.

Self service feeding

The bread of the day... Ie. Lunch

In the Pool... the movie

Videoed on an iPhone 3G using iVideoCamera on low res. Not bad for a phone that does NOT have video functionality.

Kids Playing together