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Carte Journalière vs Abonnement Général – same same but different

Encore une fois les trains de montage m’ont fait la morale car j’ai confondu le “rayon de validité de l’Abonnement Genéral” avec la posession d’un Abonnement Général.

Pour la visite de ma mère j’ai acheté une carte journalière d’Interdiscount et je suis parti dans la région de l’Jungfraujoch. J’ai moi même un l’abonnement général. J’ai acheté le supplément à partir de Grindelwald dans l’application des CFF. Comme la carte journalière dit être valable dans la “région de l’AG”, j’ai marqué ma mère comme ayant Abonnement Général, lors de l’achat de du billet de Grindelwald à Eigergletscher.

Dans la montée au nouveau téléphérique le QR code n’est pas reconnu, mais les contrôleurs après regarder les billets, ouvrent les tourniquets pour nous laisser passer.

Dans le train de retour entre Kleine Scheidegg et Wengen, la contrôleuse du train dit que le supplément de ma mère n’est pas suffisant, qu’elle a besoin d’un supplément entier et pas de uniquement de l’AG. Elle veut nous faire payer depuis Grindelwald Terminal, ce que je ne suis pas d’accord, car là on nous a contrôlé et laisser passer. Heureusement la contrôleuse n’arrive pas à faire le billet de supplément depuis Grindelwald Terminal et fait payer uniquement le train où on se trouve.

Long story short: le problème de tout cela est l’utilisation du terme “AG” pour “abonnement” et “rayon de validité”, avec des concepts distincts.

Je propose à l’Union de Transports Publiques Suisse de modifier la désignation de “rayon de validité de l’AG” à “zone standard” et créer la “zone premium” pour les transports où l’AG ne donne droit qu’à une réduction de prix et les cartes journalières ne sont pas valables.

Ainsi, on pourrait bien avoir un tableau simple:

Type billetZone StandardZone Premium
GAfreediscount
1/2 tarifdiscountdiscount
carte journalièrefreenot included
Dans l’application CFF il faudrait aussi pouvoir alors dire qu’un passager a une carte journalière.

My short Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact review

Since three weeks the XZ2 Compact has replaced my four year old Z1 Compact mobile phone.

So far so good. What I specially like is the better feeling of a high end phone – front glass, back glass fiber – better camera and a fingerprint sensor.

Compared to the previous phone, the extra weight and bigger size disturb me somehow as I get quickly tired of using only one hand to hold and type. Maybe it’s also my age 😃.

I would also change the fingerprint sensor to the side of the phone. When the phone sits on a table currently I can unlock only with pattern. Also I keep touching the sensor and unblocking the phone while it is on my trousers side pocket.

The side buttons did change position when compared with previous versions. This annoys me often as I click the power button instead of the sound buttons, turning off the screen and video I’m eventually watching. Having the fingerprint sensor on the side as in the past would probably avoid this.

The lack of headphone jack so far is not a problem, using the adaptor that comes with.

All in all I’m happy with the Xperia XZ2 Compact: good battery life, lasting two days (after the first week of adaption), good construction and nice looking. Hopefully this positive opinion Will last three or four years like for my past phone.

[Update 22.10.2018]

After receiving the upgrade to Android Pie, the battery life of the Xperia XZ2 Compact increased even more. No more signs of dodgy apps that consume 1% or 2% of battery even if you don’t use them. Now the phone lasts without problems 2 days.

Unfortunately an annoying bug got in with the Android 9 update. The default sim card (my Xperia is dual SIM) changes as soon as one loses connection to the cell. This made me already use the wrong SIM card for calls and fortunately not for data as I’ve the roaming de-activated. The default SIM card should never change automatically and this is the case until the upgrade. I’ve signaled to Sony and hopefully they will fix it soon.


Architecture and the cities

Today I’ve discovered a podcast: The Urbanist. Basically it’s about architecture in the cities. Or elements of the architecture in the city, can it be how things were build for people to enjoy the space, for cyclists to use the city or simply to make people to meet and to look.

Since long time ago I’ve been interested on urbanism and how to build cities for people and how architects have a huge impact on how a city is interesting and liveable.

Back in Portugal there was a show in the radio run by an architect who would invite other architects to show interesting parts of the city. It was called “Ao Volante pela Cidade” (Driving through the city). Later it become a book.

In Geneva I was amazed that there was a tourist office targeting visitors and another tourist office targeting inhabitants. On the latter I’ve discovered 10 different booklets with itineraries to discover the city in different angles, from architecture, to parks and trees, institutions, important people.  They have added now also cycling itineraries and other cultural walking paths.

Here are the links:

  • https://monocle.com/radio/shows/the-urbanist
  • https://www.wook.pt/livro/ao-volante-pela-cidade-manuel-graca-dias/81346
  • http://www.ville-geneve.ch/faire-geneve/promenades/

Roaming e chamadas internacionais

O novo regulamento de roaming  (roam like at home) abrange unicamente as viagens na UE. Isto trouxe casos paradoxos como o seguinte:

O João tem um número de telefone da Vodafone Portugal, com um tarifário pré-pago Vodafone Direto, e tem a namorada na Estónia. Quando telefona de Portugal para a Estónia, o João paga entre 44 cent/min (fim-de-semana) e 70 cent/min (dias úteis). É uma chamada internacional e o tarifário internacional aplica-se. Se o João for a uma conferência na Itália e telefonar à sua moça paga 9,9 cent/min, qualquer dia da semana. É o tarifário nacional que entra em jogo, porque o João está em roaming na UE.

Ou seja, sai muito mais barato telefonar do estrangeiro para outro país da UE que do próprio país!

A ver quando o parlamento Europeu se vai decidir de terminar com as chamadas internacionais no seio na União Europeia.

A legislação: http://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/consumers/telecoms-internet/mobile-roaming-costs/index_pt.htm

 


Qwant, my new default search engine

Qwant-v3Since a few days I’ve moved away from Google to start using a new European search engine called Qwant. It is a French/German consortium helped by institutional partners.

On my tests so far it works quite nicely, giving me the results I want on the top places (something that never happens when I try Bing, for instance).

Being European, it puts also more weight on European sites, which is usually what we are looking for. The artificial intelligence behind and automatic correction of misspelled words works well. There are still some more complex queries that it does not understand.

However I must say that this is the first search engine that made me switch from Google.

If you want to try: www.qwant.com


ViaRhona – Genève – Lyon

via_rhonaLast weekend we did the ViaRhona from our place to Lyon.

A total of 255km in 3,5 days, returning by train. Warm and nice on first day, completely wet the second day and fair the remaining of the time.

Here are the statistics and a few tips:

Day    Km   RideTime  Avg speed   Max speed   Ascent  Sleep
14.05  84   5h18      15,75 kmph  50,4 kmph   726 m   Chanaz 
15.05  71   4h27      15,84 kmph  43,7 kmph   334 m   Morestel
16.05  80   5h18      15,00 kmph  46,3 kmph   486 m   Meyzieu
17.05  20   1h30
TOTAL 255 km
  • GPS is quite recommended. Not all is marked. You can download the GPX files from http://en.viarhona.com/troncons/geneve-lyon
  • In Lyon take the train in Lyon Parrache train station. As the train starts there, you will have much more time to enter the train and it will be almost empty.

Reasons why I do not live in Portugal – part whatever

Há cerca de uma semana recebi por correio a notificação que o meu ‘permit’ de trabalho e residencia na Suiça vai expirar daqui a 2 meses e que era necessário renovar. Trazia um formulário a preencher ao qual deveria juntar uma fotografia e uma fotocópia do cartão de cidadão português e a prova de pagamento da renovação (do e-banking ou nos correios). Vinha igualmente um envelope já com o endereço para enviar o todo. Tempo “perdido” a tratar do assunto: 1h depois do jantar. Preço: 110 € para a renovação mais a fotocópia, fotografia e selo. Tempo de trabalho perdido: 0. O novo ‘permit’ será enviado cá para casa.

Ao mesmo tempo dei-me conta que o cartão de cidadão português expirava esta semana. Fui ontem ao consulado às 8h para renovar. Uma hora mais tarde parti porque tive de ir trabalhar (felizmente a 5 minutos do consulado). Consegui uma pausa às 11h e passei outra hora sem sucesso. Imensa gente, tudo avançava lentamente. Regressei hoje às 14h, de propósito do centro de Genebra e felizmente havia pouca gente e em 15 minutos renovei o cartão. Mas terei de lá voltar para levantar o cartão, pois não enviam a casa (o passaporte enviam, vai-se lá saber porquê). Tempo “perdido” até hoje: 4h, dos quais 3h de trabalho. Preço: 21 €.

 


Moi, un vélo – dans un train

CFF-Ticket-veloCe matin je pars encore une fois à Sion par train, en première classe, avec mon vélo. Le vélo reste dans le wagon de deuxième classe, car “les passagers de première classe n’utilisent pas le vélo”.

J’achète toujours le billet pour le vélo et j’aime le montrer en premier. Ce matin la contrôleuse a bien pris son téléphone pour prendre le code du billet de vélo sur mon téléphone et de suite “Merci” et reparte. Donc sans voir mon billet à moi ni mon abonnement général de deuxième classe. Je dois bien sembler à un vélo!