I am having real problems deciding between these two at the moment. I have switched between them several times over the last couple of years.

I really like IE7, but it has some things that really annoy me, most noticeably the fact you cannot customise the address bar. I like to add my key Google toolbar items to the address bar, switch to small icons and run a nice streamlined browser setup. This is no problem with Firefox, with IE7 it is impossible.

Firefox is fine right now, but it does not have the progressive image loading technology that IE7 incorporates, this is a really cool feature when you are running such a slow Internet connection as mine.

I think for now I have to stay with firefox, it’s the lesser of two evils basically. Why Microsoft decided to make such a mess of the IE7 interface customisation is beyond me. If they ever actually get around to doing something about changing it then I will definitely switch over to IE7, I prefer the surfing experience over Firefox.

Last night saw the first live usage of the mobile audio streaming rig I have put together, this consists of two laptops, one CDMA phone and another phone using a GPRS EDGE connection. The CDMA is used for the upstream and the less reliable GPRS to monitor the downstream.

I streamed 9 hours of dance music from the Temporary Insanity party here on Koh Phangan. Not a single problem was encountered, everything worked fantastically. I will definitely be doing this again, it was good fun and a first for the island.

The next challenge is live streaming video, although I have no idea how I would find enough portable bandwidth to achieve it. Maybe if I could multilink GPRS connections it might work but I have a feeling none of the GPRS providers here would allow it.

I’m having real problems with my Internet connection today, both my CAT CDMA and AIS GPRS EDGE connections are playing up in one way or another. Usually having both means that one of them is usually working but today both are up the creak.

I think it is time to revisit the old question again, just what is available here now on Koh Phangan in the way of infrastructure that can provide me with a more stable Internet connection?

I can only think of 4 options, there is the CAT CDMA x 1 network that I currently subscribe too, this has been generally quite good but very slow, pretty much about twice dial-up speed. There are EDGE offerings from AIS, DTAC and TRUE, all of which suffer when the power goes out and the towers go offline although AIS isn’t too bad as I still get a signal form another tower that is quite local. ADSL is out I think, I live far too far away from the only exchange on the island to have ADSL routed here. Lastly the is ip-star satellite Internet, I have seen how dodgy this can be in bad weather, I also had this installed in the first house I rented and it would go offline for days at a time.

There were rumours of some wireless Internet company setting up here but as far as I Know it is only available in Tong Nai Pan. What I really need is for Hutch Telecom to roll out their EVDO network to the island, that would really solve the problem.

I am beginning to think that carrier pigeon might actually be an upgrade!

It’s sitting in the UK right now, my friend Bear is going to bring it over with him when he comes to visit me on Koh Phangan next month. I am a bit worried though, Bear has a history of breaking things. Last time I took him out on my boat he flooded the shower, ripped the flag, broke the flag pole, destroyed the hatch, demolished the windscreen, destroyed one chair and dropped the other in the river.

Fingers crossed he is a little more successful in transporting a laptop from Europe to Asia, oh dear, thinking about it I am getting more and more worried!

It will be good to see him though, we haven’t met up for two or three years now and he’s a good friend, I think he is really going to enjoy the island.