tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57039862799304310032024-02-19T02:45:23.548+00:00Wired BeerMusicRabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03936165467806160173noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703986279930431003.post-9423534299966312542012-11-14T18:48:00.003+00:002014-09-01T19:08:26.299+01:00How to Beat BT's Support NightmareIts taken 4 weeks to get a customer's broadband line raised from
2Mbps to 8Mbps. They're in the middle of nowhere - so its MaxADSL only
(upto 8Mbps) - so BT is their ISP and they provide all the hardware, so methinks this will be a simple 5minute support call. Be aware that I'm not familiar with BT's ways. Suffice to say I hope I don't have to go through this again.<br />
<br />
4 weeks of numerous hours on the phone to India, Glasgow and who-knows where else. It was a challenge to start with but the pain soon followed. Here's my guide to getting your BT Broadband line sorted out in a pain free way.<br />
<br />
A. Do a Line Test<br />
Perform your own line test as follows.<br />
1. goto
<br />
<a href="http://speedtest.btwholesale.com/" target="_blank">http://speedtest.btwholesale.com/</a><br />
<br />
2. Click the Yes round radio button
<br />
Select the top-left blue "ADSL and Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC)
Diagnostics" box.
<br />
<br />
3. Enter your line's phone number, click go and then ok.<br />
The results in the grey box are what BT will be interested in. Make a copy of these.<br />
<br />
B. Contacting Support<br />
<br />
1. When normal support routes fail, for they almost certainly will, register at the BT Care Community Forums.<br />
<a href="http://community.bt.com/" target="_blank">http://community.bt.com/</a><br />
<br />
<br />
2. Post your problem at<br />
<a href="http://community.bt.com/t5/BB-Speed-Connection-Issues/bd-p/BBinHome" target="_blank">http://community.bt.com/t5/BB-Speed-Connection-Issues/bd-p/BBinHome</a><br />
Include the line test results you copied earlier.<br />
<br />
EDIT: the link in step 3. below is now not used. The message at it states "The moderators no longer use this contact link so please logon to the forum <a href="http://community.bt.com/" target="_parent">http://community.bt.com</a> for further help"<br />
3. Immediately raise a call with BTCare Digital Support. These are the guys who know what they're doing. Strange thing is they don't have a telephone number. Very strange but true.<br />
This is the contact link you must use:-<br />
<a href="http://bt.custhelp.com/app/contact_email/c/4951">http://bt.custhelp.com/app/contact_email/c/4951</a> <br />
You'll need to refer to the post that you made in the forum above. You'll get an incident number.<br />
<br />
4. You should get an email from BTCare within 24hours. They will fix your problem 99% gauranteed.<br />
<br />
5. If BTCare goes quiet - very unusual - but it happened to me - the very last resort is ....Twitter.<br />
Yes, good old Twitter to the rescue.<br />
Follow <a href="https://twitter.com/BTCare/" target="_blank">@BTCare</a>. Tell them you have a problem and can they follow you so you can post DirectMessage to them -> The incident number, phone number and contact person. They will then prod the engineer and support WILL resume.<br />
<br />
Easy.<br />
<br />MusicRabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03936165467806160173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703986279930431003.post-69508251981133411652012-10-22T10:02:00.001+01:002012-10-22T10:19:43.866+01:00Win8Pro Ugrade - what home users need to know.Thinking of upgrading on Friday 26th October? Here are a few pointers that may help.<br />
<br />
<b>Why upgrade?</b> There are a couple of reasons why you might choose to upgrade.<br />
- Your current Windows Operating System is ancient and you really need to refresh your computer.<br />
- You like the new Metro style (sorry - not allowed to call it that anymore) or "Windows 8-style UI"<br />
- You want to cut in half your computer's boot time (Windows 8 uses a new hybrid-hibernation startup) <br />
- You like collecting Windows Operating Systems <br />
<br />
<b>Cost of upgrade.</b> Microsoft are quite keen for people to upgrade. No surprise there. Until the beginning of 2013 the upgrade cost is low. For downloads its £15 if you have a new PC (since June 2012) and before that, assuming you have a valid XP SP3, Vista, or Windows7 license, its £25<br />
<br />
<b>£15 Win8Pro Upgrade.</b> Register your interest NOW for this upgrade. Click the link<br />
<a href="http://www.windowsupgradeoffer.com/en-GB" target="_blank">http://www.windowsupgradeoffer.com/en-GB</a><br />
<br />
<b>£25 Win8Pro Upgrade.</b> You'll have to wait until Friday for the download. Alternatively you can order a DVD (NB. -15% if you go through www.quidco.co.uk)<br />
<a href="http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msuk/en_GB/pdp/productID.257641900" target="_blank">www.microsoftstore.com/store/msuk/en_GB/pdp/productID.257641900</a><br />
<br />
<b>YOU CAN UPGRADE ANY XP3, VISTA OR WINDOWS 7 INSTALLATION.</b><br />
On Friday, when you run the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant and identify to it a qualifying existing Operating System (XP SP3, Vista or Windows 7) - and pay your £15 or £25 - you should download the Win8Pro Upgrade as an ISO and burn it to USB or DVD. This will enable you to do the upgrade in your own time and save you from having to perform multiple downloads should you wish to upgrade more than one client.<br />
<b> </b><br />
<b> </b>You can upgrade ANY Windows installation. What does this mean? If you bought the £15 upgrade you do not have to upgrade your new PC. But if you have another, older, installation, you can upgrade that instead.<br />
<br />
<b>Simple rule: One Win8Pro Upgrade is required per qualifying existing Windows installation.</b><br />
e.g. if you have a triple-boot PC with XP SP3, Vista and Windows 7 and you wish to upgrade all 3, then you would need to buy 3 upgrade licenses.<br />
<b> </b>** "qualifying existing Windows installation" is a partition with XP SP3, Vista or Windows 7 installed.<br />
<br />
<b>Can I upgrade from Windows 8 pre-release? </b>No you cannot. You can only upgrade a partition that is installed with XP SP3, Vista or Windows 7.<br />
<br />
<b>Can I perform a clean installation of Win8Pro using the Upgrade? </b>Yes, as follows:-<br />
1. Purchase your upgrade.<br />
2. Install your upgrade (saving personnal data as required and making a note of installed applications as required).<br />
3. Start your computer (Win8Pro).<br />
4. Press <b>Windows key + i</b> on your keyboard to show the Charms bar
(If you are using a touchscreen: Touch the right edge of your screen and
swipe your finger to the left)
<br />
5. Click <b>Settings</b><br />
6. Click <b>Change PC settings</b><br />
7. Click <b>General</b> in the left column<br />
8. Under <b>Remove everything and reinstall Windows</b>, click <b>Get started</b><br />
9. Follow the instructions that will be provided on the screen to reinstall Windows on your PC.<b> </b><br />
<br />
At this point it may be worth doing a full backup.<br />
<b> </b><br />
<b>Backing up your new Win8Pro installation</b><br />
Whether you back up after the upgrade or after the clean install is up to you. Follow the instructions at this link<br />
<a href="http://www.notebooks.com/2009/10/24/how-to-backup-your-installation-of-windows-7/" target="_blank">http://www.notebooks.com/2009/10/24/how-to-backup-your-installation-of-windows-7/</a><br />
(references Windows 7, but the same principles apply to Windows 8).MusicRabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03936165467806160173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703986279930431003.post-35610512027364631732012-10-17T18:54:00.005+01:002012-10-17T18:58:53.217+01:00St Peter's Cream Stout. Somebody help me.Just bought 4 bottles of this Stout from Ocado (4 for £6). The retail price of this beer is £1.89 which, for a 6.5% ABV beer, has me a little puzzled. Why is the retail price so low?<br />
<br />
Ignoring that I looked on Ratebeer where it is scoring very highly. Looks good I thought. But then I see The Ormskirk Baron only scored it 2/5. Must try it...<br />
<br />
Quite lively with a tan head. Creamy certainly. Fiz carpet on the tongue stretching to the back of the throat. Flavour? Some light chocolate in the aftertaste but is that it!? WFT!?! (That fiz carpet is still clinging to the back of my mouth.)<br />
<br />
This reminds me of home brews I used to do at college. Its meant to be 6.5% I don't believe that at all. More like 5%. Has this been bottled too early? It tastes like its half-way through fermentation - has a metalllic taste - is that the hops? Very strange. If this is in the condition that its meant to be in I'm very dissappointed. I'll ask St. Peters and see if they can tell me what's going on.<br />
<br />
Damn - I've got 3 more to drink...MusicRabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03936165467806160173noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703986279930431003.post-23811091332314988042012-09-30T20:48:00.000+01:002012-09-30T20:50:57.548+01:00My GBBH Winners (et al)A bit of a disappointment this Beer Hunt. Too many pale beers for me. Perhaps they're all (trying to) jump on the IPA bandwagon? The Lemon Head and Double Espresso tried something different but they don't stand a chance in a 2 week best-seller-wins competition. The label as much as anything will probably dictate which beers win. Sadly.<br />
<br />
With only a couple of days left to buy Sainsbury's Beer Hunt beers (competition closes Tuesday October 2nd) my GBBH winners are :- <strong>Double Espresso, Willy Nilly, Prodigal Sun, 99 Baboons and Wild Hop Gold.</strong><br />
<br />
Which 2 will win is, of-course, anybody's guess. I loved the Double Espresso but is too unusual to appear on supermarket shelves. If I had to pick 2 they would be 99 Baboons and Wild Hop Gold.MusicRabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03936165467806160173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703986279930431003.post-85271769795486569892012-09-30T19:32:00.002+01:002012-09-30T20:30:02.751+01:00GBBH remaining Round 1 beersRound 1 remaining beers:-<br />
<br />
Bad Elf<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Blimey, I'm getting a little tired of these pale/light/golden beers. It's a Winter's Ale. I could think of many, and I mean many, beers I'd prefer to drink over Winter. And they wouldn't be pale. A brewer who is clearly thinking "how can a badge this beer to catch as many sales as possible". It didn't work. Ordinary. 6/10 </span></span><br />
<br />
Poppy Ale A pretty grim golden ale. With added honey? Never. Might as well have been in a clear bottle. Ashtray taste. Say no more. Quality-wise ok. 5/10. <br />
<br />
Lemon Head<br />
A very different golden ale tasting of ginger and lemon. You'll either love it or hate it. Perhaps TOO different to win this competition. Great try though. 7/10.<br />
<br />
Scarborough Fair IPA<br />
Its described as an IPA but its malt is quite sweet and heavy (it is 6%). Its nice and I'd guess many would describe as a very well balanced beer. So I'll give it a very well balanced score. 7/10<br />
<br />
Wojtek<br />
Surprised by this one. Preferred to the Scarborough. Hop resin, not lager like in my view, with a bit of sweet malt. Another 7/10<br />
<br />
Screech Owl.<br />
I really like this. It would have earned 8/10. But the 330ml for 5.5% What's going on there? 7/10<br />
<br />
99 Red Baboons<br />
Label says "Is it a sort of porter or maybe a mild"? Who wrote the label? Too fruity & hoppy for either. But a bit of chocolate. Going for an 8/10 here.<br />
<br />
Wild Hop Gold<br />
Plain and simple citrous IPA. Hoppy with a dry finish. Better than their "IPA"? 8/10<br />
<br />
Pumphouse Pale Ale<br />
I didn't get this one. Light and sweet but no marmalade. Its good though. 7/10<br />
<br />
Unfairly, perhaps, I've skipped 2 of the clear bottled beers - Elgood's Indian Summer and Cotleigh Snowy. So they cannot win my taste test. These will be sampled when I've got a friend round who I either don't like or who isn't bothered about what he/she drinks :-)MusicRabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03936165467806160173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703986279930431003.post-24661946610862473992012-09-17T19:33:00.000+01:002012-09-17T20:54:46.384+01:00Round 1 Ruby and brown beers.First the winner of the Double Espresso v. Manchester Dark Ale. This has caused me difficulties because I thought the double Espresso tasted great but is a beer you cannot drink alot of and the chances of it winning the Beer Hunt? About nill.<br />
<br />
The Manchester Star Ale on the other-hand was a straight forward McEwan's Champion Ale immitator. But it was better. Smoother and with a darker chocolate taste. This has a much better chance of winning the competition.<br />
<br />
<b>WINNER is Scottish Traditional Ales Double Espresso.</b> I've voted for this because its just a bit different. Smooth and lovely. Sainsbury's customers would love it. (In my dreams).<br />
<br />
Next is a 3-way taste test of brown/ruby/red ales - Willy Nilly (Brains), Dot Goody's Blissful Brown (Wye Valley) and Ivanhoe (Ridgeway). The latter is a "red ale". I may be comparing it incorrectly but let's have a go...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIM_kloOeuaWvJRvizs-mC6ARTA6qQFBKQLzqu10Tq42deDT8LYxUY2PZLsyVWoGeqTQsRrtoiePMQphsdeTISIgJuvabIWOvcYJXdCjvzkIBtNEoEBhANAP414B9BuJPoXVE5eo4RPkDl/s1600/ivan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIM_kloOeuaWvJRvizs-mC6ARTA6qQFBKQLzqu10Tq42deDT8LYxUY2PZLsyVWoGeqTQsRrtoiePMQphsdeTISIgJuvabIWOvcYJXdCjvzkIBtNEoEBhANAP414B9BuJPoXVE5eo4RPkDl/s320/ivan.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Willy Nilly is a 4.0% ABV ruby ale. Bottled beers have a problem at this (and lower ABVs). The taste can be washed out by the fiz. Although this is quite fizzy the malty body makes this much better than average. I quite like this beer (considering the taste/ABV ratio). A solid 7/10.<br />
<br />
Dot. Goody's Brown Ale is 0.6% higher ABV than the Brain's beer but its body seems thinner and doesn't have the impact of Willy Nilly. Strange - I was expecting more. Medium malt, medium hop. Bottle says "Bottle Conditioned" - it did't appear to be to me. Ok, perhaps there's a little sediment. Bottle conditioning or not this is a very average 5/10.<br />
<br />
And finally Ivanhoe to finish this 3-way taste-off. Ridgeway won the 2011 Beer Hunt with their Bad King John dark strong ale at 6.0% This is a "red ale" with an ABV of 5.2%. Actually I note the bottle also says pale ale. I'm confused again... Slight haze due to bottle conditioning - I've no problem with hazing at all - the supermarkets won't like it though;)<br />
<br />
Straight away we've got a sour touch which immediately puts me off. If somebody can tell me whether this is deliberate or a problem I'd appreciate it. Perhaps I let too much sediment into my glass? Would a little sediment affect the taste in this way? I'm not going to go any further but the sour touch means I'm finding it difficult to review this beer properly. 3/10.<br />
<br />
<b>Winner Brain's Willy Nilly.</b>MusicRabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03936165467806160173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703986279930431003.post-83720221193207768342012-09-16T14:31:00.002+01:002012-09-16T14:52:30.705+01:00J W Lees Manchester Star Ale (7.3%)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyAo-wJsyYsznHWwvHZuuEUbri5Aor140AIH_Q3NB3bA2hcgq_StZ8TrvpeAGTPYkrMMEbYQtrV7tp2kkrf5toSVW6AnLi73YETA19CoXS0Cak1VqDiVRmDZweponCBbD-ko9wsVaPAAzl/s1600/IMG_20120916_134656.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyAo-wJsyYsznHWwvHZuuEUbri5Aor140AIH_Q3NB3bA2hcgq_StZ8TrvpeAGTPYkrMMEbYQtrV7tp2kkrf5toSVW6AnLi73YETA19CoXS0Cak1VqDiVRmDZweponCBbD-ko9wsVaPAAzl/s320/IMG_20120916_134656.jpg" width="240" /></a> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I should be excited by this beer. Although the bottle doesn't say "porter" this beer is in the porter style. Its "recipe comes from an 1884 Lees brewing notebook, a hoppy strong porter," on their website. I wonder why "porter" hasn't been used on the bottle? It says "ALE" on the bottle. I'm confused before I've started...</div>
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Its very dark (not black) with a short tan head. Its aroma is standard roasted malts. It looks thinner than 7.3%. Its body is thinner than 7.3% Its sweet. Perhaps the sweetness will reduce with maturity. Its close to something like McEwans Champion Ale, also 7.3% Is that comparison harsh? I think the Manchester ale, sorry porter, is better. Its smooter and the dark chocolate taste is stronger.</div>
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One way to look at this is on current price. You can get 3 of these for £4. That's a bargain. In fact if you like sweet porters I'd go to your local Sainsbury's and grab the lot NOW. If this beer wins the competition it'll be £1 more expensive.</div>
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Back to my tasting test. This beer is up against the Double Espresso from Scottish Traditional Ales. This was a nice smooth coffee beer. Which one should be the winner? HELP!</div>
MusicRabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03936165467806160173noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703986279930431003.post-10090616940663209212012-09-16T13:59:00.000+01:002012-09-16T13:59:18.177+01:00Round 1 Beers SummaryHere's my Round 1 beers summary from Sainsbury's Beer Hunt 2012. Beer details at <a href="http://www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/media/latest-stories/2012/20120831-new-regional-beers-to-hit-sainsburys-shelves-nationwide-this-autumn" target="_blank">Sainsbury's</a><br />
Join in any time you want! <br />
<br />
<b>Beers 1and2. </b>White Lady v. Prodigal Sun <- WINNER<br />
<br />
<b>Beers3,4and5 </b> Double Espresso Premio Caffe Bira v. Batemans Mocha v. JWLees Manchester Star Ale<br />
The Espresso beat Bateman's. Now its up against the Manchester Star Ale.<br />
<br />
<b>Beers6,7and8 </b>will be the battle of the clear-bottled-beers, this taste test being prompted by Bailey's comments in his blog at <a href="http://boakandbailey.com/2012/09/sainsburys-beer-hunt-2012/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sainsburys-beer-hunt-2012" target="_blank">http://boakandbailey.com/2012/09/sainsburys-beer-hunt-2012/</a><br />
The beers are Elgood's Indian Summer, Cotleigh Snowy and Wadworth's Horizon.<br />
<br />
<b>Beers9,10and11</b> will be ruby and brown <b> </b>beers Brain's Willy Nilly, Dot Goodbody's Blissful Brown Ale (Wye Valley) and Ridgeway Brewing Co. Ivanhoe.<br />
<br />
The IPAs et al tasting will then follow.MusicRabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03936165467806160173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703986279930431003.post-15099527218695536302012-09-14T19:48:00.001+01:002012-09-14T19:58:33.311+01:00Chocolate and Coffee Beers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>Round 1. Beers 3and4</b> will be Double Espresso Premio Caffe Bira v. Batemans Mocha</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7rOEIzDMTH9jXKWOMSNScQoyYycvYbGJ0Ryvb0Jl3hUB_OWULrLmUrEEZF9bFYRkXGZxYgQ4tEf2bMkhNhtycuU52XMZy6HoEFkkYUv8IjDU8K1UkKkHTR8jNViKwRt6wqZJeq9aKGUjG/s1600/mocca1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7rOEIzDMTH9jXKWOMSNScQoyYycvYbGJ0Ryvb0Jl3hUB_OWULrLmUrEEZF9bFYRkXGZxYgQ4tEf2bMkhNhtycuU52XMZy6HoEFkkYUv8IjDU8K1UkKkHTR8jNViKwRt6wqZJeq9aKGUjG/s320/mocca1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
If I was really into coffee and/or chocolate beers I'd be looking
forward to this. But I'm not a massive fan. The Double Espresso from
Traditional Scottish Ales gives off a massive coffee aroma and had me
salavating. Poured very dark with a low carbonation, this is a great
coffee beer. Smooth and sweet with vanilla hints, this beer scores a
well deserved 7/10.<br />
<br />
Bateman's Mocha next. Not looking forward to this. Bateman's beers tend
to be over sweet for my palate but I do like my chocolate!<br />
<br />
The other question is whether I should also test the Manchester Star Ale
as I see its also got "chocolate flavours". This will be a 7.3% beer.
The previous 2 were both 6%.<br />
<br />
The Bateman's. It had a very strange aroma. Not nice like the Espresso. Not as dark and more fiz too. And not as smooth. There is chocolate there but there's the Bateman's characteristic sweet background which makes me think this beer doesn't know what it is. Consequently its not half as good as the Espresso. 4/10<br />
<br />
Manchester Star Ale next (some time tonight anyway). MusicRabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03936165467806160173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703986279930431003.post-53509501180916852592012-09-13T19:19:00.000+01:002012-09-14T19:48:48.323+01:00Sainsbury's Beer Hunt 2012 - Battle of the BeersSo I (eventually) found a Sainsbury's with this year's beer hunt selection.
Its a shame Sainsbury's haven't put a little bit more effect into this year's hunt. For example, their websites <a href="http://www.sainsburysbeerhunt.co.uk/" target="_blank">www.sainsburysbeerhunt.co.uk</a> <a href="http://www.sainsburysbeerhunt.co.uk/"></a> (and <a href="http://www.sainsburysbeerhunt.com/" target="_blank">www.sainsburysbeerhunt.com)</a> at time of writing point to the 2011 beer selection. I've suggested that the easiest way to fix this is to point these URLs to <a href="http://www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/media/latest-stories/2012/20120831-new-regional-beers-to-hit-sainsburys-shelves-nationwide-this-autumn/"></a> <a href="http://www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/media/latest-stories/2012/20120831-new-regional-beers-to-hit-sainsburys-shelves-nationwide-this-autumn" target="_blank">this sainsburys link</a> which, I guess, is at least fairly recent.
<br />
<br />
Visiting my 2 local Sainsbury's today also dissappointed. One didn't even have the hunt beer shelf up yet! Apparently the current refurb has got in the way. Up the road I found the beer but, embarrassingly, I had to ask where it was. It certainly wasn't next to the usual beer. It was at the front of the store hidden behind a rack of house plants! Pic:-
<br />
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On to the tastings! I'm pairing beers up, a little unfair, but adds a bit of fun.</div>
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<b>Round 1. Beers 1and2.</b></div>
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White Lady v. Prodigal Sun</div>
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The White Lady is described as a wheat beer. Its not. At least not what I think of as a weissbier. Point deducted there. But this is a really clean drinkable beer with a caramel malt taste. No orange peel or coriander for me. As the first beer hunt beer it gets a 5/10.</div>
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Prodigal Sun. Pear drops! The Sainsbury's website (link above) says this is a blonde beer. No its not. The bottle accurately describes this as a "light amber beer". I am a fan of WilliamsBros. Their March of the Penguins (stout) is great and their Caesar Augustus was a winner of the hunt last year. Their Profanity Stout was also excellent but, alas, not many customers of Sainsbury drink stout.</div>
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I think this is a good bottled beer. The ABV is 4.1% and at that level its quite a challenge to get a bottled beer with a bit of body and flavour. It may be a bit too fizzy (actually a character that Penguin has also picked up). Its a shame. Point knocked off. Citrus? No. Pear drops I sware. 7/10</div>
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<b>WINNER PRODIGAL SUN</b></div>
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MusicRabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03936165467806160173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703986279930431003.post-70715548981212302572010-08-19T10:55:00.009+01:002010-08-19T11:50:48.591+01:00Is Beer Glassware Important?<a href="http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/news/New-breed-drinkers-taste-real-ale/article-2544593-detail/article.html" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">ThisIsLeicestershire</span></a> has an article about women and younger drinkers getting a taste for real ale.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i.thisis.co.uk/275565/article/images/2544593/1734592-vlarge.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 333px; height: 222px;" src="http://i.thisis.co.uk/275565/article/images/2544593/1734592-vlarge.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>The main picture (above) is of a young lady drinking a pint from a good old-fashioned dimpled jug. My question is whether anybody cares about the glassware that is used today.<br /><br />There are many designs of beer glassware around and with the increasing popularity of stronger craft kegged and real ales is it not time to provide punters with some attractive alternative glassware?<br /><br />There are fluted glasses, goblets and chalices, tuplips and all sorts of different designs.<br /><br />Please enter your poll selections in the <a href="http://wiredbeer.blogspot.com/">main blog window</a>.MusicRabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03936165467806160173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703986279930431003.post-83228553114588706152010-08-11T11:06:00.013+01:002010-08-12T11:19:29.488+01:00Why Mafia II Nearly Killed Me<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBGifVwCQw2XXIVRXVqGPHTdJP0QTI5ZQb5rWxEUnr8v_YWZLVAA2J0aDuVyqSy-y-bCIYg-uuuDdCPmGlErXQe57pPLl1ypSgdBkpxHVkMG_NXMkKkc-F_QYsoWIuCNVZ2TCUd0Co8PuJ/s1600/001.JPG" target="_blank"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBGifVwCQw2XXIVRXVqGPHTdJP0QTI5ZQb5rWxEUnr8v_YWZLVAA2J0aDuVyqSy-y-bCIYg-uuuDdCPmGlErXQe57pPLl1ypSgdBkpxHVkMG_NXMkKkc-F_QYsoWIuCNVZ2TCUd0Co8PuJ/s400/001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504093112069929186" border="0" /></a><br />It was the monitor's fault - a massive 20inch hulking monster that nearly gave me a hernia. Ok, so I could probably buy a decent 22inch flat screen monitor for under £100 (can I? I haven't even looked) but is it worth it if my PC gaming life is coming to an end?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100403165331/mafiagame/images/thumb/b/bd/An_Offer_You_Can%27t_Refuse_image.jpg/250px-An_Offer_You_Can%27t_Refuse_image.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 188px;" src="http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100403165331/mafiagame/images/thumb/b/bd/An_Offer_You_Can%27t_Refuse_image.jpg/250px-An_Offer_You_Can%27t_Refuse_image.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> The original Mafia (screenshot left) had a really nice feel about it and the driving especially was great fun and SO much better (IMHO) than the arcadey driving style of the GTA games. And so I thought that Mafia II would be worth a look.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100811064318/mafiagame/images/thumb/c/c8/Mafia2_0100.jpg/180px-Mafia2_0100.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 180px; height: 101px;" src="http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100811064318/mafiagame/images/thumb/c/c8/Mafia2_0100.jpg/180px-Mafia2_0100.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>So a demo arrived the other day (screenshot to the left) and I eagerly downloaded it through the very competent Steam. As is fairly typical with PC games, it ran but my TV just displayed a black screen. The game was running (I could hear it in the background). So I guessed the TV (a new Panny) couldn't hack it. It was easier (so I thought) to move my old monitor to where my PC is now. And that's when I nearly got a hernia. But the game worked fine. In fact a very respectable 50fps for a lowly Pentium overclocked to 3GHz and with a 2 year old ATI HD4800 graphics card, all running through the ancient XP. (Note:- framerate was only 40fps through Vista).<br /><br />So the game played great, with demo-time-hacked et al and with what looks like a great driving engine. But will I buy the full game? Probably not; unless I move my PC back to where it belongs (rather than being next to the TV) OR I shell out some dosh for a decent monitor...MusicRabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03936165467806160173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703986279930431003.post-74830066105540068642010-08-02T18:41:00.008+01:002010-08-02T20:19:23.581+01:00GBBF Friday Competition - Name these 9 Bottled Beers<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHK7SjJI2LnJ5skhuylZpv8g4r8XZoBaI9XpgBm4q9WJ9xIv4-t9Q6qe1uFtcCCdmiRhLS3ty-vZTFjJWAnNUTEOPe4nflDoifE4x0dVrAPHP0G8xxzh-CY_7Qv5Atw-49eWuxMPZj-pRf/s1600/009.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 236px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHK7SjJI2LnJ5skhuylZpv8g4r8XZoBaI9XpgBm4q9WJ9xIv4-t9Q6qe1uFtcCCdmiRhLS3ty-vZTFjJWAnNUTEOPe4nflDoifE4x0dVrAPHP0G8xxzh-CY_7Qv5Atw-49eWuxMPZj-pRf/s400/009.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500869701397369778" border="0" /></a>This competition is for 1 person to win the following 2 tickets for Friday (6th August) at the GBBF. The tickets are 1x FRIDAY NON-MEMBER and 1x FRIDAY 1:30 TASTING NON-MEMBER. Please read ALL of the rules.<br /><br />Rules:-<br />1. Accurately name the breweries who make the 9 pictured beers.<br />2. Accurately name the 9 pictured beers. If the name is preceeded by the brewery name you don't have to include the brewery name. If a beer name is an abbreviation, I want the abbreviation.<br />3. As a tie breaker you must tell me the total (IE cumulative) ABV of the 9 pictured beers. I know some of these beers will have a varying ABV. The total I want is for the 9 beers that I have in my posession.<br />4. My decision is final; no correspondence will be entered into; if I die before the competition closes there is no prize...etc...etc...etc<br />5. Email your entry to <a href="mailto:musicrabbie@googlemail.com">musicrabbie@googlemail.com</a>; please include name,address,telephone and/or mobile numbers (these details will be deleted from my computer after the winner has been selected and contacted)<br />6. One entry per person and no duplicate sender email addresses will be allowed (sorry!); if multiple entries are sent I will keep the first one and bin the rest<br />7. CLOSING DATE/TIME IS THURSDAY 5th AUGUST 08:59 BST. Any entries received after that time (as displayed by the "date" attribute of the received email) will be binned; no allowance will be made by me for slow email systems etc...etc...<br />8. Winner to be notified on Thursday when we will arrange prize handover; winner will also be identified in the blog.<br /><br />Good luck!MusicRabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03936165467806160173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703986279930431003.post-79980516883401912832010-06-25T14:19:00.005+01:002010-06-25T15:04:52.250+01:00England vs. Germany. The Fitness Factor.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.world2010cup.com/pictures/news/bloemfontein-free-state-stadium-23.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 444px; height: 320px;" src="http://www.world2010cup.com/pictures/news/bloemfontein-free-state-stadium-23.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I think there is one aspect of Sunday's game which will have a critical affect on the outcome. And its all about fitness. Here are the relevant facts:-<br /><ol><li>The ground is at Bloemfontein. This is 4,600 ft above sea level;</li><li>Bloemfontein average day-time temperature is 17degC; the forecast for Sunday is a sunny 21degC;</li><li><span class="thumb_content">the average age of Germany's national team is 25 years w</span><span class="thumb_content">ith 12 players under the age of 25</span><span class="thumb_content">; the average age of England's national team is 28 with 5</span> players in the squad under 25.</li></ol>There are some key players in the England team whose fitness is a big question for Sunday. First, James Milner, whose cross provided England's second goal of the campaign on Wednesday afternoon, is still recovering from a virus and is unlikely to last more than 60 minutes. Gareth Barry, whose defensive midfield duties will also be important, is also trying to attain match fitness. I suggest we won't see very much of him in the attacking half of the pitch on Sunday. Then there's the biggest question mark yet - Wayne Rooney. He just hasn't looked right in the last 3 games. Whether this is an injury, a lack of confidence, a lack of a willingness to get stuck in (due to the perceived risk of being sent off) or just a lack of general fitness, I have no idea. Rooney's lack of form is the most disappointing aspect of England's performances to date in South Africa.<br /><br />Hence, whatever happens in the rest of the game, I envisage that the last quarter will belong to Germany purely because they will have a massive fitness advantage over England.<br /><br />Not wishing to sound all doom-and-gloom, I believe England can beat Germany and the good news is that Germany knows this. Here's my "dream" scenario:-<br /><ol><li>England go all out for a first half lead; ideally 2-0;</li><li>Rooney is allowed off his leash; even if he is red-carded hopefully it will be after a goal and I'd rather see a Rooney who tears Germany apart for 30 minutes compared with his previous performances;</li><li>England under siege in the last quarter of the game; substitutes used MUST be able to either win and/or hold the ball in this last stage of the game</li><li>Final score 2-1 or 1-0</li></ol>You will notice that I haven't mentioned penalties. That was deliberate. The less these are talked about the better. I don't want to see penalties. I want to see England go for a win in 90 minutes, or as I have suggested, in the first 45 minutes when they will be most able to match the fitness levels of the German team.MusicRabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03936165467806160173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703986279930431003.post-37998566955029277352010-06-11T12:56:00.019+01:002010-06-11T13:59:38.589+01:00Copenhagen Carlsberg Free Zones - Part II<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYmRIV1BkvXlVgMVfritpUpH9Iz5_UsCL-c0NvR0IDKWfjoLY2L7dutxiPnoimWiKOBw31IjjoPAHUEprcS-sCBoGgrtnUa1Clwx5botyj61ivsaDoclnjff_aOnySKKcbD2swMNNU1umA/s1600/037.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYmRIV1BkvXlVgMVfritpUpH9Iz5_UsCL-c0NvR0IDKWfjoLY2L7dutxiPnoimWiKOBw31IjjoPAHUEprcS-sCBoGgrtnUa1Clwx5botyj61ivsaDoclnjff_aOnySKKcbD2swMNNU1umA/s200/037.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481484485256861282" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.brewpub.dk/index.php?id=english" target="_blank">BrewPub</a> was actually the first pub we went to (Mikkeller was shut unfortunately). It's just off the start of the main shopping drag (Stroget) and, in my view, definately a better place to be (that's compared to shopping, not Mikkeller). It was very quiet (lunchtime Monday) but we sat in the courtyard so we could catch the sun's rays (when they decided to shine). Despite nobody being there the barperson was of the stroppy variety and when we scanned the drinks menu she decided to wander off.<br /><br />We tried the William Wallace "Skotsk" and the Cole Porter. The 80/- ale was just ok; at 4.5% it was quite light bodied with a low carbination. Seemed a bit dull to me. Taste was sweet and sour malt with a bit of fruit and smoke.<br />The Cole Porter was much more to my liking. At 5.2% is was nice and black, thinnish with a tan head. Malted and smokey and with some liquorice - reminded me of cough mixture. Strange how some things you hated as a kid can be so warm and nice when you're older.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2M6JKw-Lur0BxZhxTDG-YNEE9dsd1VHlvW9EZjJLSbrlNWz20Nl7dGlfgXZu2qC2zce-DNqjItL2A74i0IkSH6TnU5Pskyw0VuZrKv3VRUYwh0BqKIXuQxaZjjVtjymPS3MGWTtAPCFPS/s1600/045.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2M6JKw-Lur0BxZhxTDG-YNEE9dsd1VHlvW9EZjJLSbrlNWz20Nl7dGlfgXZu2qC2zce-DNqjItL2A74i0IkSH6TnU5Pskyw0VuZrKv3VRUYwh0BqKIXuQxaZjjVtjymPS3MGWTtAPCFPS/s200/045.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481490629333825186" border="0" /></a> We visited <a href="http://noerrebrobryghus.dk/21/" target="_blank">Norrebro Bryghus</a> on a rather wet and windy day after a couple of hours in the <a href="http://www.smk.dk/en/" target="_blank">National Gallery of Denmark</a>. Cunningly this was about 10mins (ok 15) from Norrebro but we approached it with fingers crossed (that is was open). Again, on entry the place was pretty dead. No brewing was taking place so straight to the beer menu. We sampled the following over a rather extended lunch (well, the weather was poor):-<ul type="square"><li>Stuykman Wit. A 5.3% wheat beer. Usual refreshing fair - great after a museum slog;</li><li>Pacific Summer Ale. A 5.6% golden/blond. Again great refreshing peach and elderflower;</li><li>Catenillo (American) IPA (5.7%). </li><li>Mocha Porter (5.5%). I'm not a great fan of coffee flavoured beers but, as they say, you've gotta give them a go. Toffee, chocolate and coffee, finishing with a cold coffee. Not my cup of tea; </li><li>Imperial Porter (Cabernet barrel 9%). A nice rich porter with oaky wine overtones; a great end to a great lunch.</li></ul>MusicRabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03936165467806160173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703986279930431003.post-11540839332075980872010-06-04T10:27:00.028+01:002010-06-04T15:37:08.797+01:00Copenhagen Carlsberg Free Zones - Part ILet's get the money bit out of the way first. Copenhagen, like most of Scandinavia, is not a cheap place for us Brits. The average cost of a (small*) half pint is about £4. But we're not talking about your average Carlsberg swill here. Oh no, we're talking about the new wave of small craft brewers that have invaded Northern Europe in the last few years, and specifically in this blog, in Copenhagen.<br /><br />We were travelling through Copenhagen and so hastily planned a visit to 3 establishments, <a href="http://mikkeller.dk/index.php?id=9&land=1" target="_blank">Mikkeller Bar</a>, <a href="http://www.brewpub.dk/index.php?id=english" target="_blank">BrewPub</a> and <a href="http://noerrebrobryghus.dk/21/" target="_blank">Norrebro Bryghus</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVyiMLypHaSa8HTi33deQ1NxpIIss5ewlND5-RKlpSuRekEKBWTDhDaDiNLxQWAj5mxCCZw9mfh6BcuSMvF3Ms0ddCuPPgcFxqD5izj4y1hz1NIWQSelO-0EBJKCu2j4A58CTfapi5A0lb/s1600/041.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVyiMLypHaSa8HTi33deQ1NxpIIss5ewlND5-RKlpSuRekEKBWTDhDaDiNLxQWAj5mxCCZw9mfh6BcuSMvF3Ms0ddCuPPgcFxqD5izj4y1hz1NIWQSelO-0EBJKCu2j4A58CTfapi5A0lb/s200/041.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478859088666500594" /></a>Right, on to the serious stuff. Mikkeller just happened to be a couple of minutes from our hotel (excellent planning Mike!) which itself is 5 minutes from the Central Station. It's in the red-light district which is supposed to be cleaning itself up. But it's still pretty grim. The strange thing to me is how ordinary people go about their normal lives with this around them. But safe enough provided you're not on your own. The bar itself can be easily missed as it's in a basement. But once inside you can relax. Nice and clean, if minimally decked out. This is a beer geek's paradise as was evidenced by the number of beards and laptops. There are 6 tables and seating around the bar and one wall. The only food on offer was, rather oddly, Tyrrell's crisps, but at £4 a packet I saved my money for the beer, of-course.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSCZyNJjvCFaiq9BL6PEcbRqZSz95_P906hIOHB2n80F_aecJEyF84RfKbB6_2-M1PKdfVKsVKs19G6yVYCVeNWF9uUg2pA0AM-_kLOluMpEhQ7msk-LU-8Oxju6CfQzLCMZOLdG1Zrmj3/s1600/040.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSCZyNJjvCFaiq9BL6PEcbRqZSz95_P906hIOHB2n80F_aecJEyF84RfKbB6_2-M1PKdfVKsVKs19G6yVYCVeNWF9uUg2pA0AM-_kLOluMpEhQ7msk-LU-8Oxju6CfQzLCMZOLdG1Zrmj3/s200/040.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478861859496390562" /></a>Loads of beers on draft (how do they keep them?!*). <span style="font-weight:bold;">Beer#1</span> was the Vesterbro Pilsner. Well you've got to start somewhere and rather than jump straight in at the heavy end I was in need of travelling refreshment and this hit the spot! <span style="font-weight:bold;">Beer#2</span> My partner had the Vesterbro Wit (wheat beer) which, again, was extremely refreshing with a very (overwhelming?) lychee flavour. But she loved it.<br /><br />Suitably refreshed, straight onto the big boys. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Beer#3</span>. Victoria. An 8.8% porter. Well, despite the pleasure of Beer#4, this was my favourite of the night. Not too sweet, coffee and chocolate and I also had fruit. Anne liked this (no coal-tar in this porter!) It's a shame she still prefers porters in Christmas puddings though!<br /><br />Finally, <span style="font-weight:bold;">Beer#4</span> - George. A 12.12% super-heavyweight imperial stout. I don't know if a dreamed this or not but the "George" is of the Foreman variety and 12.12% is equivalent to 12 stones and 12 pounds which was one of his starting fight weights. But I don't care and neither should you. Full-bodied, smooth and a cure for the common-cold (well, not quite, but it postponed mine for at least 24 hours). It had a very low carbination which I don't mind at all, velvet oil with a dark brown head. I struggled a bit with the taste (which is why I preferred Victoria) but the usual suspects applied, albeit with little fruitiness. Nectar.<br /><br />So a great start, and I even managed to squeeze a second visit to Mikkeller the following day. A review of the other 2 "Carlsberg Free Zones" later...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Small</span>. Half a pint is 28.4cl. A "half" in Europe is normally 25cl hence the "small" half. Note that some pubs chose to serve their beers in 20cl measures or "super-small" to you and me.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">How do they keep them?! </span> If any bright spark can summarise how these beers are different from cask-conditioned stuff I'd like to know. One obvious difference to me is that they are kept and served cooler than cask beer. Does that help keep them longer? Answers on a post card to...MusicRabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03936165467806160173noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703986279930431003.post-33382291242290692672010-04-25T11:03:00.011+01:002010-04-25T12:13:21.031+01:00In Praise Of Hardware Series... Cheap Satellite Navigation<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUsKrrlBvlNqB4FOtalXpBY41p-cOl6fKg9cNyjedRuQkA_tKokVXdXP706fCAJta17_hLIVk5A_P4uvfpdpH6487ELa-j4WQ69tQlKStyW9WXzkdI7XJHobWJuoZitHy2rsmE9dsqhV7h/s1600/004.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUsKrrlBvlNqB4FOtalXpBY41p-cOl6fKg9cNyjedRuQkA_tKokVXdXP706fCAJta17_hLIVk5A_P4uvfpdpH6487ELa-j4WQ69tQlKStyW9WXzkdI7XJHobWJuoZitHy2rsmE9dsqhV7h/s320/004.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464016778759241986" border="0" /></a><br />A gadget that has become ubiquitous over the last decade is the Satellite Navigation device or Sat Nav. Having reached a price level whereby every car driver in the UK now appears to own one, I'm going to have a quick look at what makes this gadget more useful than just for navigating by car.<br /><br />Many Sat Navs, even the cheap ones, have a "walking" mode. This is fine if the default set of instsalled maps include all public footpaths but this isn't the case. Note that I'm restricting this discussion to cheap Sat Navs. I'm aware that there are many other GPS enabled devices out there for handling car and on-foot navigation but their cost of ownership, in my opinion, is high enough to make them true luxury devices.<br /><br />So, the good old cheapo Sat Nav. <a href="http://www.ebuyer.com/search?sort=rating&store=74&cat=71&subcat=849&limit=10&page=1" target="_blank">Ebuyer</a> is a good starting point for value models. If you pick a model carefully, it can be a fairly simple task to then install additional software (after all this is just a computer) and a useful example with OS maps is <a href="http://www.memory-map.com/index.html?http://www.memory-map.com/home.htm" target="_blank">Memory-Map</a>.<br /><br />The final part of the jigsaw is an external battery pack. Value Sat Navs have a serious flaw when it comes to being used on foot and that is their battery is not designed for out-of-car use. An external power supply from somebody like <a href="http://www.portablepowersupplies.co.uk/usbliionbatterypack.htm" target="_blank">Portable Power Supplies</a> will provide a reliable backup. An example of this kind of device is shown in the main picture.<br /><br />So a value Sat Nav does its job in the car and can easily double-up as an emergency on-foot location finding device. Only time will tell if these simple and cheap GPS devices will be superceded by bloated multi-function devices but until then they are an invaluable asset for the road - and footpath - roaming punter.MusicRabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03936165467806160173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703986279930431003.post-75595221815086945582010-04-22T17:31:00.003+01:002010-04-22T17:51:11.010+01:00Like Beer? Vote Lib Dem<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.plough-pub.com/images/beer-glass1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 203px; height: 221px;" src="http://www.plough-pub.com/images/beer-glass1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.plough-pub.com/images/beer-glass1.jpg"><br /></a>Well do you need a better reason? This letter sent to local CAMRA from the Surrey Heath Liberal Democrat candidate:<br /><br />RE: Beer Drinkers and Pub Goers Charter<br /><br />Thank you very much for writing to me about the CAMRA campaign for real ale, real pubs and consumer rights.<br /><br />I am proud to be a signatory to the charter and to help bring attention to the much-needed support required for well-run community pubs, local brewers and consumer rights which all contribute to community life and boost the local economy.<br /><br />Well-run pubs are important to tackling alcohol misuse, they are not part of the problem. Government policies, such as continually raising duty on beer and refusing to reform the beer tie, have led to a situation in which more than 5 pubs a day are said to be closing. It is hugely important that we stand up for the pub industry during these difficult times.<br /><br />Liberal Democrats will continue to push for fairer alcohol taxation. We believe it should be levied in such as way to discourage irresponsible drinking but this should not be done at the cost of penalising responsible drinkers and hurting local industries.<br /><br />Thank you once again for taking the time to contact me on this important matter. If you require any further information or assistance with this or any other issue, please do not hesitate to contact me.<br /><br />Yours sincerely<br /><br />Alan Hilliar<br />Mr Alan Hilliar<br />Parliamentary Candidate<br />Surrey Heath Liberal Democrats<br /><br />Broomfields<br />Aldershot Road<br />Ash<br />Guildford Surrey GU12 6PD<br /><br />PS. The image comes from, rather appropriately, <a href="http://act.libdems.org.uk/group/libdemrealaledrinkers">http://act.libdems.org.uk/group/libdemrealaledrinkers</a>MusicRabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03936165467806160173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703986279930431003.post-74059458178736806082010-04-16T13:34:00.003+01:002010-05-09T15:05:17.812+01:00In Praise Of Hardware Series... The Multifuntion Printer<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/53/Photosmart_C3180.jpg/220px-Photosmart_C3180.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 220px; height: 125px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/53/Photosmart_C3180.jpg/220px-Photosmart_C3180.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />The introduction of the new <a href="http://www.apple.com/uk/ipad/" target="_blank">Apple iPad</a>, which we shall look at in a future Blog post, reminds me of another multifuntion device - the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multifunction_printer" target="_blank">All-in-one Printer</a> (or AIO for short). A typical such device is shown above.<br /><br />An AIO typically perform 3 functions: printing, copying and scanning. The most useful also includes wirefree connectivity. This is a multifuntion device which has peaked in terms of usefulness, ease of use, size and last but not least, price. I picked one of these devices up from Argos the other month for £35. What a bargain!<br /><br />You'll probably think this is one of the most boring devices around. And you'd be correct. I vowed never to buy a scanner just because it would be used once a year, if that; it would have been a complete waste of space. But the AIO solves that problem straight away. Some of the AIOs have additional facilities like faxing and email. Some have card readers which allow instant preview and print of card images. But in general the add-ons are few and far between and have never proved that popular.<br /><br />So the multifunction printer is a prime example of a multi-funtion-optimised peripheral that fits into the home and workplace without being noticed because it does the jobs it's designed to do and no more.<br /><br />In future blog posts we'll look at devices that haven't quite got the balance of functionality over usefulness right.MusicRabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03936165467806160173noreply@blogger.com0