Microsoft XBox 360

I've never really gotten on with games consoles, more specifically, their controllers.  That was until the Nintendo Wii came along which changed things for me and I became an avid gamer for several years until the games became tiresome and the Wii's popularity slowly dwindled.

Give me a keyboard and a mouse and I can cope - give me a controller with fewer buttons/keys and I just don't get on with them.  That was until I got hold an XBox 360 controller that I used on my laptop to play Duke Nukem Forever (yeah I know, it's not a great game but I only paid £5 for it secondhand).

I found I got on quite well with the controller so I finally bit the bullet and last month I purchased an XBox 360 console along with a couple of games - GTA IV, NCIS and Flatout Ultimate Carnage.

The NCIS game is a lot weaker than I expected and it's a bit of a 'no brainer' so I'll keep it for when I just want to play a game without having to think too much.  Flatout Ultimate Carnage is a fantastic game with lots of cars, tracks and crashing to have fun with.  GTA IV is just as good as the previous versions but I haven't done many of the actual missions as of yet as I just keep driving around trying out the different vehicles I come across.

All-in-all I'm having fun with my XBox and the next game I will be getting will be one of the Raving Rabbids games, one works on the standard console but the other requires the Kinect Sensor which I don't have yet, but looks like a great way of playing games!

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Casio LK-120 Key Lighting Keyboard

I've always wanted to learn to play a musical instrument but I've never gotten around to it, that was until today!  I am now the proud owner of a Casio LK-120 digital keyboard.

The reason I went for this keyboard is because it has full-size keys, was in my price range and has light-up keys to help you learn any of the built-in songs.

I want to learn how to play properly so I've picked up a book and found some good videos on YouTube.  I plan to do things properly so I'll be starting by learning all the scales rather than just memorising how to play certain songs.

From reading the book that I have I have already learnt about pentatonic scales and what a piano score it.  Separate from the book I have also learnt how to play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star using the Casio keyboards built-in teaching method with the light-up keys so you know exactly what keys you should be pressing.   This way I get the best of both worlds, I'm learning to play properly but I'm also able to play a little tune so I can feel like I've achieved something as learning the scales properly is going to take some time...

  

I gave myself a budget of £100 so the Casio LK-120 was just what I was looking for and when I saw that it had light-up keys that help you learn to memorise songs I knew it was the keyboard for me!  It even has a small display telling you what fingers on what hand you should be using to play the different notes with.

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Wicksteed Park Recieves Grant To Restore Lake

Congratulations to the award winning Wicksteed Park on being awarded a £1m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund to restore the fantastic lake that it has.

It was created between 1919 and 1921 and has got to be the biggest and best attraction that Northamptonshire has to offer!  People from all over the UK come to this fantastic Park that is about to get even better thanks to the Heritage Lottery Fund's grant.

It was a childhood favourite of mine and I still visit the park to this day - in fact I was there only 2 weeks ago!

One thing a lot of people don't realise it that Wicksteed Park is actually a charity.  No 'fat cats' here, as much money as possible (after wages etc) go straight back in to the upkeep of the park which offers a large Free play area, some great short walks and if you purchase some tickets you can even get a ride on the train that goes around the lake that is going to be restored!

A great day out for all the family.  More details here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-18739909

http://www.wicksteedpark.co.uk/

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Raspberry Pi - Order Cancelled

To be honest I've gone off the idea of owning a Raspberry Pi, mainly because they 'released' it before they had any proper stock levels of it.

It's been a disappointment from start to finish.  I'm not prepared to pay £5 for 7 week delivery, that's just a joke!

And as for RS to send you email updates saying you can't get yours yet, but have a look at what all the people who have managed to get one have done with theirs is just a smack in the face.

Needless to say I have just cancelled my order with RS so I will no longer be getting my Raspberry Pi.  I may well get one in the future when they actually have them in stock ready to deliver, to be honest I'll probably wait for the inevitable upgrade in a year or so's time.

I hope they get stock levels right for Christmas (yes I know it's months away) as it could be a huge hit for them.

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Raspberry Pi - Order Placed

Well, there's no looking back now - I've just placed my order for a Raspberry Pi from RS Components as per the email I received the other week.

On closer reading of the email it doesn't actually say how long delivery takes, what it actually says is "On placing your order, we will advise you when we are likely to be able to send you your Raspberry Pi." it then goes on to say that "Payment will be taken at the time of your order."

That means that they get hold of my money straight away and I may not receive it for a few weeks!

Well here goes, I'm about to purchase my £22 computer...

Nothings ever as it seems is it?  £22 is what I was expecting to pay with a couple of quid for P&P.  It turns out the £22 is excluding VAT and a whopping £4.95 for delivery for a small PCB!!  A total of just under £31 for what was being billed as a £22 piece of hardware.

On top of that, if you live in the USA you can get it for a much lower price of $25 (approx £16).

Disgusted with the fact that Raspberry Pi is a BRITISH charity so how one earth can it be cheaper to buy it in the USA????  I suspect it would be cheaper to import this British computer from abroad but I can't do with all the hassle so I'll settle with buying one from RS for now...

SEVEN WEEKS???   EXPECTED???

This has got to be some sort of joke hasn't it?  They've told me they're ready for me to place my order and that they will take payment straight away, yet I have to wait 7 weeks (possible longer if there are any delays) for it to arrive?

£4.95 for 7 week delivery - that's disgusting.

When you get an email saying that you can now purchase your Raspberry Pi that you've been waiting weeks/months for the opportunity of getting your hands on one, you assume they have them in stock ready to go!  But oh no they don't :( they're still on a ship somewhere between China and the UK.

Useless.

Anyway, I have completed my order and they have my money.  I guess I might have it in my hands by Christmas...

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Just Spilt A Fizzy Drink On My Apple Aluminium Keyboard

I've just spilt a pint of Diet Pepsi all over my keyboard :( I mopped it up very quickly but it was completely drenched and it narrowly missed my iPhone by a matter of millimeters!

I've rinsed the keyboard under cold water for a few minutes (if the Pepsi dries it will make all the keys very, very sticky so rinsing it away should hopefully stop my keyboard from being sticky).

I then drained as much water from the keyboard as I could and wrapped it in newspaper and placed in the airing cupboard under the stairs where it can dry out over the next few days.

Luckily I have my laptop on a stand so only the USB keyboard (and a few bits of paper) got wet.

I'll leave it in the airing cupboard for a few days where hopefully the newspaper and the gentle warmth will draw the water out and leave my keyboard nice and dry, and hopefully not sticky.

Will it work when I plug it back in - I guess we'll find out in a few days time...

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EDIT: After two and a bit days wrapped in newspaper in the airing cupboard I finally thought it was long enough for all the moisture to have dried out so I have just unwrapped the keyboard and plugged it in to my MacBook and guess what?

Did you guess that it would or wouldn't work?  Well let me tell you, it's kinda both as part of it works and part of it doesn't work properly - if I press the 'i' or 'o' key it produces both characters no matter which one I press and the same goes for the K and L keys.

New keyboard it will have to be then :(

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EDIT 2: HOORAY!!  I've just tried my keyboard once more before throwing out of the window and you'll never guess what? Yes! All the keys now work!  I guess I didn't leave it long enough to dry.

So, in a nutshell if you spill anything other than plain water on your Apple Aluminium Keyboard, unplug it from your Mac straight away, rinse it thoroughly in cold water to wash away any stick/smelly liquids and then leave it to dry for a week - wrapping it in newspaper will help draw out the water or putting it in a large bag of rice might also do the trick (rice soaks up water and is frequently used when people drop their mobile phones in water).

:)

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New Fruit and Veg Shop In Kettering

Amongst a handful of new shops that are getting ready to open in Kettering, Northamptonshire we have a new Fruit and Veg store which is being run/opened by Palmers (as in Palmers the Butchers).

If their Butchers shop is anything to go by then we're in for a treat with their Fruit and Vegetable shop which is adjacent to their current shop in Kettering:

Palmers Butchers

It opens on the 8th of June and along with Fruit and Vegetables it will be selling Milk, Pasta, Frozen Fish/Prawns and Cold Drinks.

Raspberry Pi Latest Update - Pt 6

I think I'm about to feint...  I've just received an email from RS Components Online saying they are ready to take my order for a Raspberry Pi!

There's is a limit of one per customer and to access the store you have to enter your email address along with a unique activation code that can be used just the once.

It goes on to say that they will offer you lots of different accessories to go with the Pi and you should add them to your Pi order to save on postage and packaging - I wonder how much P&P is going to be on what is being advertised as a £22 computer?

I'm still in two minds on whether to buy one or not, it's been so long since they were launched that I'm starting to go off the idea so I'll have to have a think about it over the next few days to see if I should purchase one or not...

Raspberry Pi Latest Update - Pt 5

Ooh look! Another Raspberry Pi update from RS Components.  They start of their email by saying that lots of people have already been invited to purchase their Raspberry Pi - talk about rubbing it in my face?!

I couldn't give a monkeys about all those people who have been able to order one, I just want to know when I will be able to order mine.

To rub more salt in to the wound they list a couple of websites where you can see what people who have managed to get their hands one have done with them.  Needless to say I'm not touching these links.

The simple fact of the matter is, they should not have launched the product until they were in the situation where they could actually sell more than just a handful.

To be completely honest I'm starting to lose interest and I think I may be at the stage where I no longer want one.

Not impressed, not impressed at all.

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Scottish Drink Drive Limit To Be Lowered

The Scottish Government has announced that it is going to lower the Scottish drink-drive limit from 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood to 50mg by the end of 2012.

The general manager of a road safety charity has reportedly said that a 50mg limit still leaves the public unsure about what level is safe.


NO LEVEL OF ALCOHOL IN THE BLOOD IS SAFE - there, is that clear enough for you?

It's very simple and I still don't understand why people just don't get it, if you've had a drink, don't drive.

Raspberry Pi Latest Update - Pt 4

The 4th Raspberry Pi landed in my inbox today and surprise, surprise! Still no nearer to getting my hands on one!

4,000 other people ahead of me in the queue have actually had the opportunity to get their hands on one though and another batch of the boards are on their way.

The email was full of links to websites where people who have managed to get their hands on one but to me that's just a smack in the face to those of us who don't have one yet.

To be honest I'm starting to get fed up of all these emails telling me that other people can buy one but not me and I'm starting to loose interest and I think a lot of other people will be feeling the same way.  The novelty of owning such a computer is now wearing off so unless they get their act together soon they could end up with lots of stock on their hands with no one willing to buy any.

Raspberry Pi Latest Update - Pt 3

I'm now on my third Raspberry Pi update from RS Components but still no nearer to getting my hands on one.

CE testing and certification is now complete and they have received 2,000 of the devices and those at the front of the queue have already been invited to go to their dedicated shop to make their purchase.

Now the testing has been completed and was successful, they have vamped up production so (hopefully) I'll be able to get my hands on one soon!

Sony Reader PRS-T1 - Unboxing

Good job I didn't go out this morning as my shiny, new, Sony eReader turned up this morning!  I only ordered it yesterday and didn't expect it to be delivered until Monday!

Let the un-boxing commence...

It's in what I call an 'Apple Style' box where the box is made of quality cardboard and is just big enough to fit the product.

As you can see, it's nicely wrapped up inside too.

As it's a European model, as well as the UK paperwork there is an assortment of languages to choose from:

After removing the last piece of packaging I'm left with a very, very light eBook reader:

All I need to do now, is plug it in to my computer with the supplied USB lead and charge it up!

A full review will be coming soon!

The Greatest Sandwich In The World

I'm big fan of Subway but it's a lot of money for what in essence is a fairly simple and cheap thing to prepare yourself so I decided to give it a go and have managed to create the most amazing sandwich roll you're ever likely to have the pleasure of eating!

Ingredients/Instructions:  Take a fresh un-buttered roll and start by placing a slice of German Salami on the bottom.  Take a slice of Bernard Matthews low-fat Turkey Breast and place that on top of the Salami.  Now grab a slice of juicy ham and top off with a low-fat cheese slice (must be processed and not real cheese).

Repeat this process so you have two lots of Salami/Turkey/Ham/Cheese on top of each other.  Now spread some Hellmann's Light Mayonnaise on top, add some cucumber, lettuce, thinly sliced carrot, some red salad pepper and crispy iceberg lettuce.

You now have the most amazing roll/sandwich you will have ever tasted!

Raspberry Pi Latest Update - Pt 2

I've just received another Raspberry Pi update from RS Components, this time it tells me that 2000 of the devices have landed at the Pi Foundation in Cambridge but they are still testing them so we can't have them just yet.

They are waiting for the testing certificate to come through (there has been some debate on whether they need this or not).

RS have created a dedicated Raspberry Pi online store and once the testing has completed they will invite the first bunch of people in the queue to purchase one.

They will then move to the next group of people in the queue and invite them to go to the store as and when more stock arrives.

The only thing they don't tell you is whereabouts in the queue you are so I could be waiting days, weeks or even months before I receive my invitation...

Rock and Chips - Five Gold Rings

Rock and Chips, Five Gold Rings is the second feature length episode in a fantastic trilogy that depicts the early life of Derick Trotter and all of his family and close friends.

It's just as brilliant as the first Rock and Chips DVD that I saw the other day.

It was like a trip down memory lane as we've all heard the stories that Delboy and Grandad spoke about in the Only Fools and Horses TV Series and now thanks to Rock and Chips we get to see them first hand!

In this episode Del is still selling records from the docks and has thousands in the garage that belongs to the flat they now live in and it's in this episode that we first hear Del being referred to as a trader and his long and winding 'career' has now begun...

Rodney has been born and **spoiler warning** it is confirmed that Freddy the Frog is definitely his father.

The mannerisms of all the characters fantastically mimic those of the older versions of themselves that we have seen in Only Fools and Horses so not only is the writing fantastic but the acting is too.

As with the first part of the Rock and Chips trilogy, this an absolute 'must see' DVD.

Raspberry Pi Latest Update - Pt 1

I've just received an email from RS Components regarding the latest update on the Raspberry Pi.  The first batches of the devices will be in their warehouses any moment now and emails will be sent out to people who signed up purchase the computer as soon as they become available for them to buy.  The sooner you registered your interest, the sooner you will be invited to purchase one.

Many weeks ago when the Raspberry Pi was launched I personally got the impression that had already been manufactured and ready for sale on the launch date.  It turns out that this is not the case and they only had a limited supply.

None appear to be for sale at the moment as it has been reported that they have had a manufacturing error where they soldered on the wrong components to the boards.

What the Raspberry Pi people did was, instead of taking the risk of manufacturing them themselves, they licensed out the design to a couple of different companies in the UK, Premier Farnell and RS Components.  I bet they're glad they did it this way as it's an Open Source device and the manufacturing error would have cost them big time.

I registered my interest with both companies and when I got an email indicating that the actual cost of the £22 device once postage and packaging had been taken in to consideration came closer to £30 I unsubscribed and deleted the message.

I don't know what RS's total price will be as they are not taking any payments until they have the devices to sell which is a responsible thing to do.

Useful Links:

http://www.raspberrypi.org/

http://uk.rs-online.com/web/

http://uk.farnell.com/

Rock and Chips - DVD Review

Rock and Chips is the feature length prequel to the hit TV series Only Fools and Horses and what a fantastic prequel it is!

If you enjoyed watching (and growing up with) Only Fools and Horses this is an absolute 'must see' DVD.

You get to put faces to names you have heard in the Only Fools and Horses shows but never got to see.  People from the Trotters past such as Freddy The Frog and Jelly Kelly!  All the usual characters are in this prequel so you get to see Delboy, Trigger, Boyce and the gang in their youth!

Even at a teen at school Delboy was selling hookey gear from records to nylon carpets that give of so much static there's a wonder they need electricity!

Fantastic writing, fantastic cast and all-in-all a fantastic program.

OnyX - OS X System Maintenance Utility

If your looking for a way of cleaning up your Mac then this free piece of software should be right up your street.

OnyX is quite a powerful tool so if your not sure on something then read the help file found in the help menu before you do anything.

The main reason I have used OnyX in the past is to make use of the Cleaning facility that it has to offer which is the section I am going to focus on as part of this review.

WARNING: Ensure that you don't have any programs open when you run OnyX.  If you do have some programs running it will close them so you may lose your work if you've not saved any open files.

 

Click Continue and the S.M.A.R.T. status box will appear

Click Continue to verify your startup volume

 

Grownups Series 3 - DVD Review

Oh my god, just when I thought it couldn't get any weirder I've just seen Grant in a dress pretending to be Kylie to cheer up the boy he blinded playing tiddlywinks who isn't actually blind (he's just pretending so he doesn't have to go to school) and Michelle in a gimp mask and full rubber outfit!

Grant doesn't stop with dressing up as Kylie, he even ends up dressing up as a Geography Teacher in a 'sexy' attempt to turn on his new girlfriend from his office.

They're still trying to have sex with each other (and anything else that moves) but the humour seems to be a lot better than Series 2 but it's still pretty strange.

Don't bother with Series 2 as that's just complete tosh in my opinion but this one isn't too bad.

Grownups Series 2 - DVD Review

Until I joined LoveFilm I hadn't realised there had been a second (and third) series of Grownups and as I enjoyed the first series I thought I'd give the second one a go..

To be honest, I wish I hadn't bothered as it was nowhere near as good as the first.  All that it seemed to be about was all the main characters having sex with each other and that was as deep as the plots got.  I'm not saying that the plots in the first series were exactly intellectual (they're not) but they were so much better than this series.

If you're a fan of the first series and were hoping they would make a second - please don't bother with the second series as it will ruin it for you.

The third series is on my LoveFilm list - despite the second series being pretty poor, I'm going to give it a go so I'll be leaving it on my list.

The Inbetweeners Movie - DVD Review

Just when you thought The Inbetweeners was over this fantastic and hilarious film comes along!  If you enjoyed the TV Series then you must watch this film.

Will, Simon, Jay and Neil head off on holiday together, not a camping trip like the last episode in the TV Series, this time they venture further afield to Malia where they do everything you'd expect on a lads holiday from staying in a crap hotel to attempting to attract the ladies by wearing Pussay Patrol T-Shirts!


Full of all sorts of politically-incorrect humour you are bound to find this film absolutely hilarious.


All-in-all this is a great British Movie and if you're looking for something to make you laugh then make sure you watch this film/DVD.

The Inbetweeners Movie [DVD]

Blue Streak - DVD Film Review

In this film Martin Lawrence plays the part of a criminal who gets caught in the act.  Just before he is brought to justice he stashes the diamond in the ventilation system of a building that is in the middle of being constructed.

Two years later when he is released from prison, he returns to the scene of the crime to find the building is complete and is now a Police Department.

He then takes on the role of a cop using false ID some bloke in a cafe has made for him.  Lawrence ends up meeting a few of his 'colleagues' as he is partnered up with a rookie cop to tackle crime.

When he can, he gets inside the ventilation system and finally finds where he stashed the gem only to find it has gone.

Will he find the gem and if he does will he get away with it?  There's only one way to find out!

It's not the greatest of films I have ever seen but it's worth a watch if it happens to be on TV or someone you know has it on DVD.

 

Northamptonshire Ghosts - DVD Review

Richard Felix has been on a Ghost Tour of the UK and in 2005 he found himself in Northamptonshire.  If you're a fan of Most Haunted and are expecting this DVD to be like that then I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed.

Unlike the TV show, this DVD will not show you any ghost hunting - what it does show you however are some of the most haunted parts of Northamptonshire, from Fotheringhay Castle (where Mary Queen of Scots was beheaded) to The Hind Hotel (where Oliver Cromwell stayed for a few days before he went to battle).

So if you're looking for some haunted places to visit in Northamptonshire then this DVD will be right up your street!

If you're not looking for haunted places to visit or you're not interested in the paranormal at all then this DVD will also be up your street for the simple reason that the places that are haunted are great places to visit as they have a bit of interesting history behind them so the DVD can act as a tour guide!

I'm having difficulty in rating this DVD as I'd like to give it 3 stars but I think I'm going to have to give it just 2 stars for two reasons; firstly because the recording quality isn't particularly brilliant, it's only in 4:3 ration and at time the camera angle is wonky. Secondly I was hoping it would show a lot more places to visit than it did.

So 2 stars it has to be I'm afraid, don't let that put you off, if you want some ideas of places to visit in Northamptonshire then this will show you some of them.

Cor Blimey! - DVD Review

If you're a fan of the Carry On films, Barbara Windsor or the great man himself (Sid James) then you're bound to want to see this DVD.

It's a drama based on the lives of Sid James and Barabara Windsor through the Carry On years.

Sid James had his own dressing room in the forum of a caravan that came complete with its own toilet, shower and bedroom, it may not sound much but his fellow cast members dressing rooms were nowhere near as glamorous.

The Carry On films were made incredibly cheaply, especially by today's standards and the actors didn't exactly earn a fortune from them but it's certainly what made quite a few of them famous and they must have been great fun to do!

Discover England - Northamptonshire DVD Review

If you're looking for a trip down memory lane or have just moved to the area then the Discover England - Northamptonshire DVD could be just what you're looking for!

The DVD itself is a little bit dated having been filmed a few years back now and the sound quality isn't as good as it could/should be.

The DVD mainly focuses on Northampton but having said that, quite a few other places are mentioned, just not in quite as much detail.

There is plenty of heritage and history to explore and enjoy in Northamptonshire and although this DVD wont show you them all, it's certainly a good starting block.