More stuff that works
A mixed bag, one for motorcyclists, one for people who like to listen to music.
For audiophiles, particularly those who commit a relatively small amount of money to their love of music, get yourselves online and buy some Quadraspire isolation supports. Funny shape bits of plastic that sit under your audio kit and stop vibration; impressive how much effect such little things have on output quality. For those who spend a little more, the same company's Sunoko Vent hifi racks performed remarkably well in a demo; I went in with considerable cynicism, but came out a believer. Just moving the CD player source from an old rack to Quadraspire's entry product and then to the Sunoko produced appreciable step changes in audio clarity and tone. Moving the player back to the normal table and back again clinched it - absolutely, definitely and even to non-educated ears, the audio quality improves on the Sunoko Vent rack. One to look listen out for.
And for motorcyclists, so many of whom will have heard the first part of this one before: the vanishing point; watching it obsessively really, really works... The vanishing point is that point at the which the two edges of a road appear to come together as you approach a bend. If the vanishing point recedes away from you as you approach, the bend is relatively shallow; if it doesn't move at all the bend is sharp and slowing down is probably advisable. This is something I have known for a long time, and used more or less my whole motorcycling career (not always effectively...); but I picked up an extension to this information in a motorcycling periodical. I read it, thought about it and went out to try with much success, so I thought I'd pass it on. 
If you keep watching the vanishing point as you go around the bend, not just on the approach, it has several additional benefits:
(i) vehicles of all types have a tendency to go where the person in control is looking, so watching the vanishing point helps prevent those embarrassing verge/kerb encounters, and for me it seems to result in a better, smoother line through the bend;
(ii) you see and understand what is around the bend sooner;
(iii) you are in a far better position to understand what the bend is going to do, allowing you to continually reapply the basic rule described above, namely if the vanishing point starts to recede you can accelerate. Or brake if it seems to get closer...
Posted at 02:07PM May 26, 2010 by Chris Puttick in General |
One in the eye for iPhone users with pets
See, look, if you had an Android phone not only would you get a better operating system and more choice in hardware, you'd get an app that translates what your pet says using the newly released beta of Google Translate for Animals. Cool...
http://www.google.co.uk/intl/en/landing/translateforanimals/
Posted at 02:51PM Apr 01, 2010 by Chris Puttick in General | Comments[1]
A couple of things that really work - further evidence
Ok, ok, not so much from a scientific perspective... But the Yumega (which comes in suspiciously cool little bottles, like so cool we're keeping them to make flavoured olive oils with herbs from the garden) ran out. Within a week levels of scratching and licking were definitely higher, and after two weeks of the return to previous levels we ordered more Yumega. Things seem to be settling down again, time will tell.
And Quistel? Definitely, that's a good-un. Skin conditions disappear almost like magic, dogs smell a little less like dogs
Posted at 07:30AM Nov 20, 2009 by Chris Puttick in General |
A couple of things that really work
Probably of interest to dog owners only this one, but hey, you find something or things that seem to be good, you should tell people about them...
So recent discoveries: Quistel and Yumega; one's a medicated shampoo, one's a dietary supplement; both are about improvements in skin health and fur health. Neither are cheap, although Quistel (the shampoo) is normally used diluted which makes it as cheap as any shampoo.
Used neat Quistel claims to help cure various skin conditions such as allergic reactions and eczema, used dilute help prevent them, and in general has the repute of making the dog's fur feel soft. Of vague archaeological interest is that one of its key ingredients is arnica, used by, among others, the Romans for treating burns and other skin damage.
Yumega is a mix of oils high in Omega3 and 6 derived from plants, specifically golden flax and starflower; we're actually using Yumega Plus, which also has salmon oil. These oils are, like Quistel, intended to improve coat and skin condition and in particular claims to reduce moulting. The salmon oil is intended to reduce itchiness and sensitivity. Golden flax oil is also good for cricket bats, and if that was not enough, there's an archaeological link here too; both golden flax and starflower have long been seen as having health benefits, with some sites claiming evidence of use
The observed results are possibly just seasonal, possibly coincidental and cannot be traced to one or the other of the products and may actually require. But let not the rules of science impinge on this blog post... For sure there's less hair around the house; not a little, a lot less hair. The retriever, Louis, being from a wussy show line, has always had problems with eczema, particularly in areas where dampness tends to linger. As a result he has lost a lot of hair on the insides of his rear legs and associated "leg pits"; this is now growing back. Maybe, just maybe there's been less scratching and licking; for sure the shampoo has an effective deoderant component and the fur on both dogs does seem a little softer.
All in all, it seems to me these products are having the desired and claimed effects. Pretty good. If it does turn out to coincidental and changes with the seasons or all the observed benefits just disappear despite continued use, I'll let you know...
Posted at 09:08AM Oct 03, 2009 by Chris Puttick in General |
If ever someone deserved it...
This guys does. Sponsorship, that is. Whatever your views on the troops in Afghanistan, anywhere else or the military in general (or if serving, your views on the RMP!), Major Phil Packer is one tough guy who deserves our support to reach his sponsorship target. A man told he'd never walk again attempting the London Marathon on crutches? Come on, get over to his site and make a donation.
And yes, we know the marathon was yesterday, but it's going to take Phil a few more days to finish as he's only allowed to do two miles a day...
PS And pass it on, only 650,000 more people donate £1 and he's hit his target
Posted at 08:08AM Apr 27, 2009 by Chris Puttick in General |
And I thought this one had been dealt with already...
So, way back when (that being when as an IT professional I realised that open source was the way to go), one of the common issues raised with adopting it in your organisation was "who do we go to if it goes wrong?", commonly shortened to "who do we sue?". Well, I had an answer ready for this, as it was a big part of the reason for my change of heart.[1]
Who do we sue?. Well, no one. Open source, closed source. Free or really expensive. One hobbyist's creation or a product of the world's most profitable company.
And I quote:
"YOU CANNOT RECOVER ANY OTHER DAMAGES, INCLUDING CONSEQUENTIAL, LOST PROFITS, SPECIAL, INDIRECT OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES.
This limitation applies to
- anything related to the software, services, content (including code) on third party Internet sites, or third party programs; and
- claims for breach of contract, breach of warranty, guarantee or condition, strict liability, negligence, or other tort to the extent permitted by applicable law.
It also applies even if
- repair, replacement or a refund for the software does not fully compensate you for any losses; or
- Microsoft knew or should have known about the possibility of the damages.
Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitation or exclusion may not apply to you. They also may not apply to you because your country may not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental, consequential or other damages." (c) Microsoft, from the Office 2007 Standard edition licence.
The warranty section is even more fun. For those who doubt (read "those who never read the licence they are agreeing to"), this useful site should help them:
http://www.microsoft.com/about/legal/useterms/default.aspx
Coincidentally, exactly where I got my copy of the licence from for the quote above, having never installed MSO2k7 on my (Linux) computers
[1] Previously I was a Microsoft qualified sort of IT person, with expertise in NT/2K server and a specialism MS Exchange 5.5. You live and learn, and I was so much younger then 
Posted at 09:52AM Apr 03, 2009 by Chris Puttick in General |
Mii injured...
Some out there will immediately read the title of this post and say "Ahh, yes. You too?". Others will quickly guess at the implications but not quite understand and rush to confused conclusions. For all, here's the why and the how...
So, I was a bought a Nintendo Wii. With the Sports pack. That would be enough for those partly in the know to understand. For the uninitiated a Wii games console uses a controller that, unlike the more traditional joystick, requires you to move it through real space in 3 dimensions to play the game. Wii Sports is a game and add-ons that allow you to play various sports (tenpin bowling, baseball, tennis, golf and boxing). Many Wii games have "players" you choose from and create that are called Miis.
I haven't injured one of the Miis, strictly I've not actually injured anything. Turns out that while taking part in sports on a games console involves very little running around, reproducing the movements uses many of the same muscles. Combine that with a very competitive person, the enthusiasm of a puppy with a new toy and a system that rewards you by increasing its perception of your skill level and the skills of the computer opponents you are presented with and you get, well, ouch. I feel like I've played about 300 frames of tenpin bowling, 20 baseball innings, gone a few rounds with the bag and been soundly trounced in several games of tennis. Which I have, sort of...
Posted at 09:48AM Feb 16, 2009 by Chris Puttick in General |
First they ignore gvSIG, then they laugh at gvSIG, then they fight gvSIG, then gvSIG win?
Actually I'm not entirely sure ESRI went through the laughing stage, but they seem to have reached the fighting stage. In Spain at any rate. This email circulated on the gvSIG and OSGeo mailing lists:
"Hi all,
I write this mail on behalf of Álvaro Anguix one of the leaders of gvSIG Project (it seems he is more confident with my English than me :P). I've posted his letter in Spanish on my personal weblog[1], and I write down here more or less his thoughts.
As you may know, he works for IVER, the most prominent company that supports gvSIG (aside note, I work for Prodevelop, another gvSIG supporting company). Ok, some coworkers of him went to Madrid few days ago to attend the Annual ESRI Users Conference. Because IVER has customers that use ESRI technology they, as every year, wanted to know the latest "arc-news". Obviously they registered previously and they were confirmed by the organization.
Well, when they tried to register at the beginning of the conference, the Marketing Director invited them to abandon the conference. Even more, the Managing Director of ESRI Spain insisted one of the IVER people that "to talk with customers, better she should go to a café or on the street". Quite annoying and bizarre!
As Alvaro says, why they have this behavior with his colleagues? Maybe they fear FOSS companies?
Anyway, all of you are invited to the gvSIG conf, even to discuss, it's free in both senses
See you"
The weblog (in Spanish) referenced can be found here.
Excluding a company from your conference on the grounds they also work with competing products smacks of anti-competitive behaviour to me. Presumably not allowing IVER staff into the conference reflects ESRI Spain's concerns that their product can't compete with gvSIG and an OSGeo stack. At least not the pricing they have been accustomed to charging; and maybe they have seen previews of gvSIG v2 and realise competing is going to be hard whatever they do with the pricing...
Posted at 08:23AM Oct 17, 2008 by Chris Puttick in General | Comments[3]
If you don't believe me
Maybe a veteran celebrity instead? Stephen Fry, author, comedian, actor and all-round nice, terribly bright, fellow. His film about the Free Software (as in beer) movement is now available on Stephen's blog.
For those who don't have a media player that supports the open standard format the video is posted in, go here and download VLC. Unless it's available in your software management tool, in which case is highly recommended for install.
For those who can't quite be bothered to download VLC (obviously installing VLC from your software management is so easy that group just went straight ahead and did it) but would still like to see the video, someone also posted it on YouTube. But the quality is far nicer in the original format .
Posted at 10:20AM Sep 04, 2008 by Chris Puttick in General | Comments[1]
To blog or not to blog, that is one of the questions...
Hints on tips on whether to blog, what to blog and when to blog.
[Read More]Posted at 03:34AM May 23, 2008 by Chris Puttick in General | Comments[2]
How stupid are these phishers...
Phishing: The act of sending an e-mail to a user falsely claiming to be an established legitimate enterprise in an attempt to scam the user into surrendering private information that will be used for identity theft. (courtesy of the Webopedia Computer Dictionary)
So phishing emails arrive all the time. Some are works of art, beautifully crafted to look and feel like they come from the company they claim to, use real URLs throughout except one carefully masked one which is the hook. Many are pretty dire and basically depend on a mix of greed, stupidity and/or an over-trusting nature on the part of the recipient.
I just got one which must be in the running for "stupidest phish of the year"... From the top:
It arrives from a German (.de) email address, claiming to be from the "Microsoft Word Lottery, UK".
The office address is in Liverpool and they are emailing from Germany?
I have of course won £1m and I'm one of 25 lucky "international winne(Addresses) who have won in this category". Just one example of many garbaged bits of English. Oh, and another, which implies its not a £1m prize, actually it's a staggering "GBP 1,000,000.00M"!
Their website is apparently "still under construction, as we are updating our site." A £25+m e-lottery fund without a website?
My email address was selected from their Microsoft Word user lists. Odd, given that like many computer users (most?) I've never actually owned a copy of Microsoft Word...
Then there's the "Non resident claims form" I am required to "completely fill with your correct information". I am a resident...
And my favourite, just for the geeks: my email address was apparently randomly selected by "our new java-based software". Microsoft? Use Java? And tell people about it? Get away...
Just goes to show some phishers are dumber than their victims
Posted at 08:59AM May 01, 2008 by Chris Puttick in General |
A little help for those just adopting Linux
Actually not a huge amount of help, but rather entertaining:
The missing five-minute Linux manual for morons
Courtesy of The Register.
Posted at 11:27AM Apr 15, 2008 by Chris Puttick in General |
Found: one small, fast, muddy spotty dog
Bob turned up. Or to be precise, a dog rescue near Bicester called to say they had him. Said dog rescue is about 11km away from where he was last seen, so for a moment I thought he had achieved all the previous posting had suggested he might. But no, he'd been found in our village and taken there. Evidence suggests that after his normal mud "seek and splash", he had been distracted from returning by a lady Boxer on her morning walk and didn't hear the whistles for his return due to mud in his ears. At least that's Bob's excuse...
Posted at 11:57AM Mar 25, 2008 by Chris Puttick in General |
Lost: one small, fast spotty dog
A Springer by the name of Bob.
Far too fast for his own good. So on his usual morning walk he ups and goes after something or nothing, which is normal; only this time he didn't come back. A blog is not a common place to notify people of a lost dog, but Bob is very, very fast, entirely single-minded and, while unlikely to leave the country, is all too capable of running flat-out for hours, which could put him in one of three or four counties.
So if you see him, tell him to go home. Fast.
Posted at 10:50AM Mar 25, 2008 by Chris Puttick in General |
If this doesn't make you cynical, nothing will...
Or if you are already cynical, it might be enough to get angry. The article unearths some evidence from an anti-trust trial in the US - it is an email chain from 2000 with a document attached, written in 1997, that might as well be called "Ensuring victory; the art of war in under-informed markets". Enjoy:
http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20071023002351958
Posted at 03:57AM Feb 19, 2008 by Chris Puttick in General |