Soccer Showdown

Posted on 27/4/2011 by mrBen

Having a smartphone has completely changed my phone usage. In particular, my phone has now become my primary game platform (although I’m very enamoured with the work’s Barnes and Noble Nook Color I have running Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)). One type of game I always seem to come back to consistently is that of the football simulator, and I thought it would be interesting to compare the 2 big hitters – FIFA10 and PES 2011.

FIFA10
FIFA10 has been around for a lot longer than PES, so I’ve played it an awful lot more. It’s also had some updates, which did resolve some of it’s initial niggling problems (like not multi-tasking properly). I’ve played a about 7 seasons worth of manager mode, and most of a season in Be A Pro mode. I’ve played in Amateur, Semi-Pro and Pro levels, too.

Pros
– Manager Mode and Be a Pro are excellent additions to the game, increasing it’s longevity and playability
– The variety of button combinations makes for a very in-depth (albeit complex at times) control system
– The game play is fast
– Menu system is responsive
– Good “training” subsystem

Cons
– Mis-hitting controls is easy to do, and it seems to misregister at lot of the time (this is possibly a problem with multi-touch on the HTC Desire – I am investigating further at this point)
– Some moves which should be simple aren’t – double-tap for a cross is very hard to get right.
– “Manager” mode doesn’t really involve much management beyond formation. You can’t see health or fitness levels from the team screen, so you can’t make tactical decisions based on player’s suitability
– Free kicks seem overly complicated to get right – scoring from a free-kick should be an art form, not black magic.
– The change in difficulty between amateur and semi-pro is _huge_; it was bad enough I almost gave up. Semi-pro to pro has been easier to handle.
– You basically run everywhere because the slower option is much harder to achieve

PES2011
PES I have played mostly on the Nook, which has a much bigger screen, which shows off the graphics nicely. I’ve been playing in Regular and Professional levels. I’ve played a European club competition, an international cup and most of a league season.

Pros
– Quick-game – auto-picks the teams and just jumps straight in. Perfect
– Controls are big and simple. Complex passing manouvers are simple
– Scoring overhead kicks! It’s easy, and it’s fun :)
– Replay system is excellent, and offers saving your replays to a gallery

Cons
– Sometimes it’s hard to select items on the menu.
– No manager mode, despite having better team management system – you play 1 season on a league, and that’s it. No cups, or anything
– Not the real teams – usually find, but surely “Merseyside Red” should at least have a red team strip, not blue…..?
– Player selection is mostly automatic, which can be frustrating
– Penalty kicks are too hard to take (IMO)
– Menu system with slide-then-press is awkward – often it slides when you’re trying to tap; “Tap Anywhere” splash screen is pointless
– Training system only offers free-play and penalties

So – which one do I play the most? Well – it depends on a number of other factors. PES is more “arcadey” – easy to pickup and play a game. FIFA feels more in-depth, but it does require an investment of time to get used to the controls and difficulty level. If PES had a better “manager” mode (seasons, transfers, etc) then it would win outright.

mrBen

Posted in Android, Games, mrBen | Leave a comment

Elderly

Posted on 16/2/2011 by mrBen

It’s funny how numbers fall into sequences if you look hard enough. This year, for instance, it will be 25 years since I became a Christian, 20 years since I started working with Steve Bedford, and 15 years since I moved to Glasgow to work with the (then) Whiteinch Fellowship. And a couple of Sundays ago I had the privilege of being ordained as an Elder in Whiteinch Church of Scotland, as I take my place on the leadership team for the first time since the core group was dissolved as part of the leadership reshuffle many years ago.

Looking back over the years since that happens, I am aware that, along with the ‘physical’ changes in my life – children, houses, jobs, etc – there have been a number of spiritual changes to contend with. While much of the church have been steeping themselves in the teaching from Bethel Church in Redding, California, I’ve mostly been drawing on the wisdom of Mark Driscoll, and through him John Piper, Tim Keller, and a few others. All of which has made the decision to move back into leadership a lot harder – my view of leadership has been challenged by rereading the passages in Titus and Timothy that identify the quality of a leader. The call to be “above reproach” is a scary, but valid, one; I’m pretty sure that I fail that one on a regular basis. Equally, the call to lead my family in a way that indicates that I am “fit for purpose” is something that I think about most days as I look to be a not just a good, but a godly father to Mira and Jamie, and a godly husband to Heather.

I am reminded of a bit from the end of the film Prince Caspian where Aslan calls on Caspian to rise as a King of Narnia, and Caspian says “I do not think I am ready” and Aslan replies “It is for that very reason that I know you are.” I am not sure I am necessarily ready for the rigours of leadership based on the criteria of the New Testament, but I do know that I want to do my best. I’ve been at Whiteinch for as long as I have because I believe in it and the work that it does. It’s not perfect, but that shouldn’t stop us from trying to make it so. It is an honour and a pleasure to be able to serve in this way.

mrBen

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Charge Steamer – First ride

Posted on 12/1/2011 by mrBen

My new bike arrived yesterday, and I thought it would be good to write a small review of the unboxing and first ride, and then follow up with a post after a couple of weeks/months of riding.

Unboxing

The bike arrived completely unscathed from the Edinburgh Bicycle Cooperative, and opening the box revealed a bike that looked shiny and new and big. First impression seems to focus on the tyres. They are _huge_. 26″ wheels with 1.95″ wide tyres. Likewise the handlebars are _wide_. The bike came with a little dual-ended allen key which handles adjusting the stem, bars and seat, along with a little EBC bag, some instructions, and a flat multi-spanner for attaching the pedals. Putting the pedals on was a piece of cake, as was adjusting the handlebars. Getting the saddle right is a lot trickier, because the angle of the seatpost is extremely laid back, meaning my usual measurements didn’t work very well.

Considering the size of the bike, and the “extras” – built-in rack with board, kickstand, bell, full mudguards – it’s actually reasonably light.

There were only 2 real disappointments in the package. Firstly, the pannier that I had bought attaches with plastic clips that are far too small to clip onto the oversized railings of the integrated rack on the bike. Secondly the (very nice) wooden deck appears as if it may have been incorrectly attached to the bike, although I’m not 100% and it hasn’t in any way hampered the bike, so I’m not actually bothered.

First ride

Going from a road bike to this is like going from black and white TV to colour. Essentially it’s the same thing, but it’s really a whole lot different. The geometry of the frame is so laid back that you do feel as if you are reclining. The bike is ultra-stable, which is great for commuting on Glasgow roads. The handlebars are so wide that it feels a bit like you’re riding a Harley. The brakes are fantastic and, being internal, don’t degrade in the wet Glasgow weather. The gearing is just about right for my commute – lowest gear is probably a shade higher than my old bike, and highest is maybe a touch lower, although it’s difficult to tell because of the difference in riding position.

Interestingly the bike makes me want to go both faster and slower than before. The stable geometry and wide handlebars make riding slow very easy and relaxing. The geometry and the brakes make going fast great fun and much less scary. The enormous tyres make for a smooth ride over potholes and have loads of grip in this mornings slush. The saddle is sprung which is also nice and comfy, although the seat-tube is angled so far back that the saddle can’t actually go horizontal, which I’m not sure I like, but will leave for the moment.

Under heavy pedalling one of the cranks does knock against the chainguard slightly, but it’s not bad enough (or frequent enough) to be a proper annoyance. Riding out of the saddle will take some getting used to because of the width of the bars.

Probably the hardest thing is getting used to a more laid back riding position. It feels like I’m using different muscles, and at times it feels somehow less efficient. It also doesn’t feel like it’s accelerating all that quickly when I first start off. It will be interesting to see whether this is actually true over a long period of riding and timing my commute.

Conclusion

This is a cruiser bike, and it lives up to it’s name. I feel like cruising around in it. I feel like I would be much more likely just to jump on it and ride, which was part of the plan. Not that I didn’t like riding my previous bike, but this feels inherently more practical for some reason. It’s also more fun to ride, and more comfortable.

Watch this space for long(er) term review.

mrBen

Posted in Cycling, mrBen | 4 Comments

New Year, New Bike, New Target

Posted on 10/1/2011 by mrBen

Having achieved my target of 1,000 miles on my bike in 2010, it was time to reassess the bike situation. Whilst the Peugeot has been a faithful beast, it has also begun to show signs of general wear and tear, much of which could potentially cost more to repair than the bike itself is worth. Given that my mileage for 2011 is likely to be more than double that of this 2010, I decided it was time to look for a new bike.

My initial choice (for various reasons) was the excellent Kona Ute, the cheapest cargo bike on the market. Having a longtail would certainly have been fun, although possibly not as practical is it might have been. However, it was not to be, mostly for financial reasons.

And so, arriving in my life tomorrow, is the Charge Steamer, purchased from the Edinburgh Bicycle Cooperative. Charge is a UK company too, and they make some really decent kit. The Steamer is a bit of a quirky bike, with it’s integrated rack, and hub gears and brakes. But I think that it will make an excellent low-maintenance commuting bike, as well as attracting a few looks for it’s odd shape. ;)

Interestingly, I think that this choice of bike is indicative of a number of changes and realisations about my life:

  • It’s not a speed machine, but I’m more interested in getting there than getting there quickly
  • I’ve realised that I will rarely do weekend long distance runs, or touring, or LeJOG. I need a bike that will be reliable for commuting and short runs
  • I like quirky. I didn’t want just another ordinary looking bike.
  • I want a bike that’s useful and pragmatic. While not a cargo bike, I hope that the built-in rack will proved useful for carrying stuff
  • I want a bike that’s comfortable, for me and occasionally Heather.

Delivery is due tomorrow, so hopefully my first ride will be Wednesday morning :)

Along with a new bike comes a new target. Given the increase in distance I gained from moving house, and the increase in diesel costs, I’m aiming for 2500 miles this year. It’s a bit of a stretch, but I am confident that it is achievable.

mrBen

Posted in Cycling, mrBen | 1 Comment

Some Disruption May Occur

Posted on 13/12/2010 by mrBen

While playing around with Google Instant preview, I discovered that the preview of Jedimoose.org showed a big page of spam. So it would appear that we had been exploited (through xmlrpc FWIW). In order to deal with this issue, I’ve done a completely clean install of WordPress in a completely clean directory. All posts and stuff like that should be in order, but any file links may be broken.

If you find a broken link, please post the link here, and I will endeavour to fix it ASAP.

mrBen

Posted in Computing, General, Internet, mrBen | Leave a comment

One-oh-Oh-OH!

Posted on 25/11/2010 by mrBen

I was going to attempt to write this post in the style and meter of the Proclaimers hit ’500 miles’, but in the end it was too much like hard work.

Last week I finally achieved one of the targets I set forth in January, namely cycling 1000 miles on my ‘new’ bike. All but a handful of those miles have been done whilst commuting, although I am still a few days short of my 200 days (assuming I’ve been tagging my rides correctly…). Even discounting costs I will have saved over £400 by the end of the year, and I plan to continue with the cycle commuting, even with the longer commute now involved.

Most importantly, I still enjoy it. Sure there are days when it’s cold and rainy, but you’d be surprised how few they actually are considering the reputation of Glasgow. My commute is still 50% cycle path, which is quite relaxing (although when the ice arrives that will have to stop by necessity). Oh, and I’ve (so far) only had 1 puncture the entire year, which is also quite surprising.

I’m hoping to get a new bike at some point in the new year, to save on a long list of things that are likely to need repairing on the old bike that would add up to distinctly more than it’s worth. Given that my mileage is likely to double to 2000 miles next year, this seems like a decent investment. I might get my brakes done first though, as they’re getting a bit urgent (well…. the brakes are actually get less urgent by the day, which is the problem….)

Roll on 2011…

mrBen

Posted in Cycling, General, mrBen | 4 Comments

Getting ready to move

Posted on 27/10/2010 by mrBen

In 3 days time, we’re moving house. We’re upsizing to a nice 3 bed end-terrace house in Knightswood. But it’s a huge move for a couple of reasons:

1. I’ve lived in Glasgow for 14 years now. This is the first time I will have lived outside the Scotstoun/Whiteinch area (1 year in Scotstoun, 13 years in 5 flats in Whiteinch). It may only be 2.6 miles (as the Google drives) from our current flat, but it feels like a lot further when you’ve lived in flats all with a mile radius of each other.

2. Although 2.6 miles isn’t all that far, it’s not reasonably walkable, especially with small children. (Not impossible, I grant you, but not ideal). But most of our friends, and most of the things we go to, are still in Whiteinch. This will probably mean that the bike will get more usage for going to meetings and the like.

3. We’ve been married 11 years, and we’ve spent 5 of them in this flat.

4. Both our children were born while we were living in this flat.

5. We’ve not had a window in the bathroom for the last 10 years! (Nobody seems to understand how significant this is….)

6. Lastly, and, I suspect, most importantly, this is very much an investment in a number of ways. We’re obviously investing financially, and this will require a certain amount of rejuggling. Also, though, we’re investing in our future and the future of our children – we don’t expect to be moving again (God willing) for a number of years, and so this house will be the house that our kids grow up in, and probably the one they will remember the most. And we’re investing spiritually in both our ministries – looking to make more space for hospitality for starters, but also a better living space for us to live and work in. With Heather’s work with Source kicking off, things for her (and consequently for the rest of us) could well be changing significantly in the next few months.

So – looking forward to it, but with a certain awareness of changing times. House warming party will follow At Some Point (TM)…

mrBen

Posted in Faith, mrBen | 2 Comments

The Big Android App Review

Posted on 24/9/2010 by mrBen

OK. Here it is. A review of every app that I have installed, or have previously installed through the marketplace. Which is a lot. They’ll be short reviews, but hopefully you’ll appreciate one or two of the gems that are out there.

3G Watchdog
One of the first apps I installed, and it’s never going away. In order to get a cheap deal on my phone, I only have limited mobile internet (80MB). This isn’t a big problem, because I’m mostly in range of wifi wherever I go. But keeping track of what I have used is really handy. This little app sits in the notification bar, and monitors all your mobile internet usage. You can set up warnings based on your billing dates and allowance, and it’s even possible to have it turn off 3G when you’re about to hit your limit (via an additional app). Small, but perfectly formed. I can’t see why anyone wouldn’t have this installed….

Aldiko
It’s an ebook reader. I haven’t read huge swathes of books, so I can’t comment a lot, but the app seems competent enough. Doesn’t handle PDFs, which is a shame for some of the books that I have that don’t come in ePub format.

Angry Birds (beta)
This was a MASSIVE hit on the iPhone, and the beta was released a couple of weeks ago on Android. It’s great fun. I’ve played through all the levels and am now going back to try and get 3 stars on all levels. (Currently all but 5 are on 3, and those 5 are on 2). Massively addictive with cute graphics and sound. Can’t wait for the full version to arrive.

Astro File Manager
Do you really need a file manager on a phone? If you do, then this is the one to have ;) I do use it every now and then, and it also has a good task manager and a load of other little administrative applications that are quite handy.

Barcode Scanner
Just about every website that talks about Android apps shows a QR code for you to scan, but the phone doesn’t come with a scanner built in! This is one of the recommended ones, and I add my recommendation.

Bible
CrossConnect
OK – I have 2 Bibles installed, although I’m really waiting for the ESV guys to finish porting their iPhone app across. The first one here is from YouVersion, an online Bible reading community that was created by LifeChurch.tv. The CrossConnect Bible does come with a nice daily verse widget for your homescreen. I tend to use the CC Bible more, although the interface is a bit ugly, and the YouVersion team have made a number of updates to their app since I last used it in anger.

EnRoute
Nifty little app that links with a web service to tell people where you are based on your GPS. Great if you travel long distances to family, so they can see you coming.

FIFA10
I love football games, and I’ve always had a soft spot for FIFA on the PC. I’ve played quite a lot of this game since I got it. Sadly, it’s not perfect. On-screen controllers aren’t ideal in any situation, but these can be pretty bad at times. Plus the number of press and swipe options for the 2 “buttons” is quite bewildering. On the plus side, the graphics are nice and the sounds are OK. And you get the “Be a Pro” mode where you get to play a single player rather than the whole team. I’m not convinced as to how much management the computer does in “Pro” mode, although I’ve not played that the most. In manager mode it’s far too easy to buy players – I bought David Villa and Lionel Messi to Liverpool without any problems – and there doesn’t seem to be any good way of tracking things like player fitness and form in the middle of a game. Plus, it seems to forget my team management changes quite a lot.

All these things would be bearable if it wasn’t for the fact that the difference in difficulty between Amateur and Semi-Pro wasn’t so huge. I played a season at Amateur level and won the Premiership, then switched to Semi-Pro and got relegated. I scored about 3 goals in the whole season, with 2 being from corners. Now – I may not be brilliant at the game, but I would expect the gaps between difficulty levels to be smaller. Heaven help me if I ever try “Professional”, let alone “World Class”!

gStrings
It’s a guitar (and other stringed instrument) tuner. I downloaded it when the battery in my built-in tuner died and I didn’t have a spare. Seems to work really well. If you’re a musician, definitely worth having to hand.

Heavy Gunner
Futuristic game where you have 2 big guns (and rockets and plasma rifles, etc, etc) and have to shoot loads of baddies. Basic premise. Brilliant game. The controls are great too – 1 circle under each thumb a bit like a D-Pad, but the aiming system makes it really usable and great fun. Good graphics, good sound. Highly recommended.

IMDb
Same as the website, but on your phone. Nicely implemented, although I only use the search function rather than all the (seemingly US-centric) content on the front screen.

LinkPush
Android 2.2 _should_ be on my phone by the time you read this, at which point this app goes away. Simply put, this ties in with a little plugin on my laptop’s web browser. I click the button on the browser and it sends the link to my phone. Start up the app on my phone, and it loads the page on my phone browser. FroYo (Android 2.2) does this (and a whole lot of other clever stuff) better, but if you don’t have 2.2 this can be quite handy.

Remote Notifier
Found this recently. It combines with an app on my laptop and pops up notifications on my laptop screen whenever I get a phone call, text message, and things like that. It also does battery state notification too. Most usefully, it mutes the audio on my laptop when my phone is ringing – perfect if I have headphones on!

Skies of Glory
I got this game along with a guy in the office to try out the multiplayer between iPhone and Android. It takes a while to get used to the controls – it’s a “proper” flight sim rather than arcade style. It seems like a really competent game, although I haven’t played enough to give an informed review.

Soccer Livescores
Does what it says on the tin. Does it well. Notifications and stuff too. There’s a whole betting community system built in, but I’ve never used it so can’t comment. Covers pretty much every league in every country.

Super KO Boxing 2
An arcade style boxing game with great cartoony characters. Nice progression of difficulty too. Great graphics and sound and controls. Can’t complain ;)

SwiftKey
Installed this only yesterday. It’s a keyboard replacement. It tries to guess the next word you are likely to type in your sentence and offers it. A bit like standard predictive text, but guessing the next word as well as the current word. Initial impressions are that it’s pretty good, although I think it’s a bit ugly compared to the stock HTC one.

Time-Lapse-Lite
We do a fair bit of time lapse photography at work and I thought it would be fun to play around a bit with it. The Lite version of this app only does a small resolution, but it was enough for a bit of lunchtime animation. I might get the full version for a bit of time lapse for church.

Visual Task Switcher
This is basically the same as what you have when you Alt-Tab on a PC, or a bit like Expos̩ on Mac Рyou get a visual representation of all the open applications when you press the Home key (or another configurable key). Plus you can force close them from there if you require. I had been looking for something like this for ages, and I love having it.

WordPress
For handling your WordPress blogs. Does exactly what you need.

Force Close Button
Adds a force-close option to the slide-down notification panel. Works brilliantly – thoroughly recommended.

Winds of Steel
Another flight sim. A bit more arcade-y than Skies of Glory, but great fun to play.

Posted in Android, mrBen | Leave a comment

Some Android Links

Posted on 13/9/2010 by mrBen

As some of you know, I’ve been feeling the love for my Android-based HTC Desire (even though Orange _still_ haven’t released FroYo). There are hundreds (if not thousands) of android websites, so I thought I would share a couple of my favourites:

  • EuroDroid – not only because it’s for non-US news, but because the humour is quintessentially British.
  • Android and Me – probably my favourite Android news site (other than EuroDroid) although I do read a couple of others.
  • Android Game Reviews – a small site by one man, but he posts reviews frequently, and I find them to be accurate and fair.

That’s just a taster of all that is out there. I will hopefully post some of my pick of apps and games within the next few days.

mrBen

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My son is one

Posted on 25/8/2010 by mrBen

Title purely for poetry ;) Last Thursday (19th) Jamie turned one. The last year has been amazing, if somewhat disruptive, what with a new job to contend with too, and the change in direction with church. And now we’re thinking about moving house too. It’s all go…

Jamie with toys

My Shinies!


I just feel very fortunate to have 2 amazing kids, whom I love very much.
Mira Asleep on the couch

....sleepy...


Hope to have more posted soon about other interesting subjects. (Promises, promises…)

mrBen

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Cycle Commuting

Posted on 3/8/2010 by mrBen

I’m now over 6 months into the adventure of cycle commuting, so I thought it was time to put some reflections online briefly.

  1. I actually really enjoy doing it, even in the rain. I’ve covered over 650 miles in the past 7 months, and am on target for my 1000 mile plan for the year. The only days I’ve not cycled to work (3 in total) were because of practical circumstances and not a lack of willingness.
  2. I can leave when I want, and my trip time only varies by about 90 seconds each way of 12 minutes. Can’t say the same for car or bike
  3. It gives me a nice mental barrier between finishing work and getting home
  4. I cycle on the cycle path, rather than the road. I do this for a number of reasons:
    1. The route is actually .2 miles shorter, which is (I gather) unusual for most cycle commutes
    2. Only 2 sets of traffic lights to handle, rather than the 13 by road
    3. My brain is free to wander because I’m not having to concentrate as much on the mass of traffic
    4. The cyclepath is in as good a condition as the road (which isn’t saying much).

    I shall probably return to the road in the winter, as the lighting on the path isn’t up to scratch.

  5. After the initial outlay for a few essentials, my free bike hasn’t really cost me much, considering the mileage. A brake cable here and there, but that’s about it, meaning that I’m racking up the ‘savings’ – at least until I look to buy a new bike, that is ;)
  6. I am getting a bit quicker, which I presume means a bit fitter. I’ve failed completely at getting out on my bike for other, longer, rides in the evenings. Hopefully this won’t always be the case, as I think it’s probably key to actually losing a proper amount of weight and gaining proper fitness, but there is evidence of improvement at least.
  7. I’m beginning to look to take my bike on other short journeys too – it _is_ still possible to travel light and not have to worry about clothing, etc for short journeys

Anyway – just wanted to get some thoughts out, so that my dedicated readers (snort!) didn’t think I’d forgotten about the blogosphere completely.

mrBen

Posted in Cycling, mrBen | 3 Comments

Syncing Feeling

Posted on 3/6/2010 by mrBen

If you’ve read my last couple of posts, you’ll know that I am, overall, extremely happy with my HTC Desire phone. Once HTC/Orange get around to pushing out Android 2.2 I suspect I will be even happier ;) However, I have had a couple of mishaps. My previously mentioned fail with the Sense launcher was mostly harmless, if a little irritating. However, my own impatience with my Mac mounting the phone the other day lead to a worse problem – the microsd card wasn’t mounted/unmounted properly and failed to read either in my phone or on the Mac. The only solution was to format it. This meant I lost everything on it, some of which had been on it from my previous phone. I load a load of photos – nothing spectacular, but quite upsetting.

And so to the problem of syncing…..

There are a number of options available for Android. None of which are as good as iTunes, I suspect… DoubleTwist is an attempt to mimic iTunes-like functionality with an Android phone. However, I’m not overly impressed with it as a piece of software. They’ve just released a client app on the phone too – I guess I might check it out, but I’m not convinced by the reviews I’ve seen so far.

The Missing Sync promise to be a great solution, but it is $40 which grates a little. Plus, it seems to sync _everything_. As I noted in my previous post, I have a load of stuff that _already_ syncs. Contacts, mail and calendar are all sorted. There are only 2 things left I need to sync (that I can think of) – Photos/Videos and the HTC auto-backup file. (Apps is a possibility, but I’m thinking of going with AppBrain on that, as it seems a popular choice)

MyBackup is an online service with an Android app that appears to be highly rated….. but 2GB of space? That seems somewhat paltry for backing up images.

Google, of course, have their own image service – Picasa. Sadly, though, it doesn’t look like the integration with Android is there. And so I think I’m just going to sync photos with my laptop using….. the built in Image Capture programme for syncing with cameras. And I’ll make copies of the autobackup files too.

However, I will play around with DoubleTwist for a while as well, as it’s free ;) , just in case I’ve missed something important.

mrBen

Posted in Android, mrBen | 1 Comment

Going Googley

Posted on 27/5/2010 by mrBen

So I’ve changed browser from Mozilla Firefox to Google Chrome. This is a big deal for me – I’ve been a Mozilla user for years now, and I still think they do great work. However, there are a few big advantages in Chrome for me:

1. It’s quicker.
2. It’s Webkit based, so it helps when working a lot with mobile Webkit stuff
3. My phone runs Webkit
4. The release of 2.2 includes some cool stuff for “cloud-to-device” work, and I suspect a chunk of that will be in Chrome in the near future.
5. The developer stuff is just a bit smoother and neater than firebug

I’m now pretty much a Google boy – I use Google Mail and Calendar, and I have a Google phone, which integrates everything nicely together. Talking of the Desire, I picked up a nasty bug (not sure of the source) which caused the HTC Sense Launcher to repeatedly die, which required a complete wipe of the phone. Luckily, all the magic backup stuff kicked in, and the only stuff I really lost was the connections between my phone, google and facebook contacts, which only took about 30 minutes to restore. (I do really need to sort through my contacts and cut them down – a lot of them are horribly duplicated, and my first phone couldn’t store multiple numbers for a single person, so I have loads of entries for all the different numbers and stuff).

Other than that problem, the Desire is a fantastic phone. I’m enjoying having a “smart phone”, and I suspect that by not having previously had an iPhone is a bit of an advantage. I don’t particularly feel any iPhone envy, and while I appreciate the appeal of an iPhone and the way that Apple handles it, I’m still a big fan of the open nature of Android. While it leads to a proliferation of crap available for the phone, I do believe in the long run it will increase the potential and quality. (Much like the internet). And the price was right.

Oh, and I can’t wait for 2.2 to arrive for my phone – latest news slates it for June 23rd.

mrBen

Posted in Computing, Internet, mrBen | Leave a comment

$4,134,035

Posted on 22/4/2010 by mrBen

No, I’ve not won the lottery. That’s my final score on ‘High Roller Casino’ on my Nokia after numerous successful Texas Hold ‘em tournaments. And it’s the final score because yesterday I took delivery of a new phone, the HTC Desire, which is the latest Google Android powered phone to hit the UK market. I got an amazingly good deal from Orange and it means I finally have a phone that I can use to show off the apps that we create at my work! (without having to sell-out and get an iPhone ;) ) Plus, it’s got SatNav….

mrBen

Posted in Linux, mrBen, Toys & Games | 1 Comment

The PVR Conundrum

Posted on 10/3/2010 by mrBen

I’ve blogged in the past about my exploits with MythTV, and playing around with Personal Video Recorders. Over Christmas we bought ourselves a new TV and DVD player, to replace our aged tv, freeview box and dvd player, all of which had faults. However, our video recorder is also showing some signs of age – it was a wedding present – and I recently saw that eBuyer now have the Acer Revo “nettop” PCs for only £120, and I began investigating the world of PVRs again.

Here’s what I would really like:

  • something that can (at least) mimic the functions of the video recorder, ie recording and playing back shows from TV
  • something that can handle our library of DVDs
  • something that can give easy access to online video content, ideally iplayer and seesaw as they now cover most of the stuff I’d want

Other items (picture viewing, other video plugins, etc, etc) are a bonus that is a consideration, but not a deal breaker.

So I started to look around at some of the current popular offerings. As far as I can tell, MythTV is still the one to beat for straight PVR, although there’s a certain amount of confusing online as to whether or a not a Revo could handle it as a combined backend/frontend. (The dual-core model seems like it might, unsure about the ‘bargain’ box).

When it comes to the online content, there are 3 big boys out there – XBMC, Plex (which is only for MacOS) and Boxee. I’ve looked at all three, and here are my conclusions:

  • XBMC – the code upon which the other 2 are based, but seems to be nice. The interface is usable and looks a lot like plex. However, the browsing for plugins is rudimentary, and the list of plugins only had a couple of things I wanted. A search online seemed to come back with a lot of ‘this can’t be done because of DRM’ replies, and yet the plugins exist for Plex, so why not….?
  • Plex – pretty nice, although it did have one or two annoyances, not least the reliance on OSX which would make the Acer Revo a more difficult prospect (if a prospect at all)
  • Boxee – the new kid on the block making a lot of noise, but, in my opinion, not yet delivering. They need to sort out getting more plugins in there, and it needs an interface to MythTV too ;) It had a whole load of “social” stuff built into it, but, frankly, I don’t think I want/need that. (Reminds me a bit of the Flock browser)

I _want_ to like Boxee, but I find myself leaning towards XBMC more at the moment. Alternatively, there are a load of plugins for MythTV itself, so maybe that is a better option?

I’d love to hear from anybody who has similar needs, and also anyone who’s running Myth on a Revo.

mrBen

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rock.net.uk vs hardplace.com

Posted on 9/3/2010 by mrBen

Those of you with geek leanings, and possibly some of you who aren’t, will have experienced the problem – you have a great idea for a new project/product/business/etc and you’ve come up with a name for it and it’s beginning to come together, and then you go to buy the domain, only to discover that .com, .net and .org are all taken. And suddenly you have to decide – do you go for a marginally more obscure ending – .co.uk, org.uk, .info, .me – or do you change the name of the project?

The happened for me with both linkpot.net and fosstr.org (both of which I handed over to a friend when I realised that I wasn’t going to be able to maintain them). In both of those, I took the option to choose a new name and get a ‘decent’ domain. However, it’s happened to me again, and, in light of the recent hubbub from ReadWriteWeb which seems to indicate that a significant proportion of the web use Google rather than actually type in addresses, am I better off keeping the name I like and having a longer TLD, or is there still value in having a short TLD?

Thoughts welcome (although let’s not have a discussion about whether someone in the UK should be using .***.uk rather than a US TLD ;) )

mrBen

Posted in Computing, Internet, mrBen | 2 Comments

New Job

Posted on 1/3/2010 by mrBen

OK – it’s not really new any more – been here for more than 3 months. But I promised Félim that I would blog about it ;)

I started work on Nov 16th at Central with the job title of ‘Junior Developer’. The extra hour in bed in the mornings is wonderful, as is getting home a good 45 minutes earlier at night. I’ve been able to help out with the kids in the morning and evening, which I (hope/think) is a bit of relief for Heather.

I’m doing a stack of Python, which is great, and working on a product that I genuinely think is brilliant. (More on that when it gets formally released ;) ). I’m thoroughly enjoying myself.

All in all, it was definitely the right move to make.

mrBen

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No such thing as a free bike…

Posted on 28/1/2010 by mrBen

Back in December 2007 I tried a bit of cycle commuting on a borrowed mountain bike. I stopped when I realised that it wasn’t really saving me any money, and because I thought I was about to move to a job closer to home, whereupon I would start again. Sadly, the job never materialised, and I never started up cycling again, despite having done over 200 miles at that point.

Fast-forward to 2009, where I got 2 offers – a new job at Central and a new (to me) bike via an online friend. He had been given an old 10-speed road-bike, but wasn’t allowed by his wife to keep it, so I said I would take it.

I took delivery of an old Peugeot Carbolite 103 (actually the name of the frame, the model is an obscure number on a sticker near the bottom bracket that is a bit torn :( ) in November, but sadly there is no such thing as a free bike. New tyres were a good start, but when I went for my first serious test ride, the chain broke. A new chain then enabled me to see that the saddle was woefully uncomfortable, so a new saddle arrived for Christmas. I’m still in need of some mud guards, and I suspect a rack at some point, and some additional cycling clothes, etc, etc, etc. You get the picture ;)

Me collecting the bike:
me + bike

A few alterations later:

Carbolite 103

Of course, then there are the alterations that need doing. The brakes are shoddy and need a bit more work, if not replacing. The brake levers have been moved, but need moved a lot more to make the drops anything more than decoration. I have bar tape to fit (matching the saddle…). Plus it now needs a good clean and oiling.

However, I’ve done 100 miles in January, having ridden every work day, and I intend to ride at least 200 work days in 2010, which would be about 1000 miles of cycling. It will also save me in the region of £400, although I would need to minus expenses off that…… now – where’s that cycling mag….

mrBen

Posted in Cycling, mrBen | 4 Comments

Happy New Year

Posted on 8/1/2010 by mrBen

Wow – I am so behind on blog posts it’s unbelievable. I have 3 or 4 in my head at the moment. However, just a small one for now to wish all our readers a Happy New Year. Some things to look forward to posts on:

  • My New Job
  • My New Bike / Commute / Fitness plan for 2010
  • Thoughts on PVRs
  • Snow!

But for now, a few excellent links for those of you who are into cycling. My aim this year (more later) is 200 weekday commutes, so I am officially “into” cycling (again!) ;)

L8rs…

mrBen

Posted in Computing, Cycling, mrBen | 2 Comments

Code Release!

Posted on 8/10/2009 by mrBen

It’s been a while since I released any code into the public realm. Until today \o/

Sadly, the code is probably not something that many people are interested in, but I was interested and that’s enough for me ;)

Whetstone is a small application to help you memorise verses of scripture over a period of time. Currently it only runs on Linux, although the Windows version is around the corner. Testers are welcomed ;)

mrBen

Posted in Computing, Faith, Linux, mrBen | Leave a comment