andreas838’s blog

The Prisoner: AT&T's iPhone

nobody@vox.com(andreas838) — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 20:01:13 +0200

Dear Steve,

After eagerly anticipating the iPhone, I wanted to communicate my distinct anger and dissapointment in Apple not offering an unlocked-SIM model.

Iphone and jobs

This configuration is not in line with the user freedom your customers expect from Apple products and limits usability for international business people, significantly. Like many frequent travellers, I actively use more than one SIM card. International roaming isn't feasible for people who spend signifacant time in different countries. Are you suggesting people get one iPhone per country?

I won't get an iPhone unless it's truly a world phone. But I would spend up to $1,200 on an unlocked model.

Sincerely Dissapointed,
Andreas Cohen

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Move 2 Mac, going out of Microsoft sale

nobody@vox.com(andreas838) — Sat, 12 May 2007 19:25:44 +0200

Well despite my letter to Steve Jobs, requesting a 12" Apple Laptop, I decided to make a move and get a MacBook. I've actually discovered that I'm quite happy with 13.4" screen and wouldn't now want to go smaller. In light of my move to the Mac, some of my Microsoft items need to find a new home and for others I have upgraded to newer items. So the following items, all in great condition, are up for sale.

Item 1: BenQ R/RW External USB DVD Drive EW1621 for EUR 10,-

Item 2: Bose Companion Series I PC Speakers, EUR 10,-

Fusion

Item3: Logitech Fusion Webcam with 1.3 Megapixel for EUR 38,-

Logitech® QuickCam Fusion is a high-end webcam that delivers true 1.3 megapixel images, superior video quality, and clear, echo-free audio.

Wag54g

Item 4: Linksys Wireless ADSL Modem & Router WAG54G for EUR 23,-

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To switch or not to switch back to Mac: a new 12" black MacBook Pro is urgently needed

nobody@vox.com(andreas838) — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 13:19:13 +0100

Today I sent the following letter to Steve Jobs.

Dear Steve,

After 10 years of being away, I am considering switching my company and myself back to the Apple platform.

After a lengthy analysis, we conclude that there is only one element which is preventing us from doing so, laptop quality & size. The current product line is geared more for cool designers who like large displays and travel consists of hanging out at Starbucks. Consultants on the go need high quality and small size laptops like the X Series 12" Thinkpads. The 13.3" MacBook is too large and the quality (crummy keyboard) isn't that of the Thinkpad and what one would expect of Apple.

If you come out with a 12" MacBook Pro geared toward the travelling executive, we'll switch to Mac. We want to return, but you have to help us get back home.

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Zen and the art of preparing the perfect soft boiled egg

nobody@vox.com(andreas838) — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 02:29:30 +0100

There's something absolutely satisfying and civilized about dipping a toast soldier into the runny yolk of a perfectly prepared soft boiled egg.

Soft boiled egg with toast soldiers

Wikipedia defines a soldier in the food sense as a "British term that refers to a piece of toast cut into thin strips reminiscent of the formation of soldiers on parade. The toast is sliced in this manner so that it can be dipped into the opening of a soft boiled egg that has had the top of its shell removed."

The problem is that boiling an egg is not as easy as it sounds and producing a perfectly soft-boiled egg is in fact, all down to the timing. There is the distinct danger of the white being undercooked, which could completely spoil the whole experience. Experimentation is a necessay part of finding the best method of producing the perfect egg. Although the timing is the most important factor, there are also other aspects that need to be considered. I found the following steps to be most helpful.

STEPS

1. Egg Temperature

The temperature of the egg before it goes in the pan to be cooked is important. Really, the egg should be cooked at room temperature, otherwise when you place it into the pan of boiling water, it will most likely crack from the pressure. If you store your eggs in the refrigerator, they should be removed at least half an hour before you start to prepare them, as this will bring them up to room temperature. On the other hand, you may run them under a hot tap for a few minutes or add an extra minute onto the cooking times below.

2. Egg Preparation

Take each egg and pierce the larger, rounder end with a pin. As the egg heats up during cooking, the air cell within the egg swells and can cause the egg to crack due to the pressure and lack of escape. The pinprick in the end of the egg will allow the steam to escape instead of cracking the shell. I like to use an Egg Piercer, an ideal device to
accomplish this task.

WMF Egg Piercer

2. Pan Environment

Fill the pan with enough water to cover the eggs plus one inch and add a teaspoon of salt. This will make peeling the egg easier once it has been cooked.

3. Cooking the eggs

Bring the water to the boil. helpwithcooking.com recommends the following: "Once the water is gently boiling, carefully lower the eggs into the pan using a tablespoon. As the water reaches boiling point again, reduce the heat so that the water is simmering and begin timing. If eggs are cooked at temperatures that are too high, this will cause the egg white to toughen."

This is where the Zen part especially comes into the picture. Depending on the size of the egg, heat intensity of your stove and your personal preference of the result, you will find the precise cooking time is somewhere between 4 to 6 minutes. Try not to get upset when your egg ends up being harder than Einstein's theory of relativity. :-) Here, you need to accept reality as it is, call up the scientist within you, trying one egg at a time, to determine the appropriate cooking time. Using an egg timer also helps.

In case the force is not with you, two modern devices have been recommended to me which I have not yet tried. Mike Minton, the inventor of Perfect-Soldiers, told me about the Egg-Perfect Thermometer.

Egg-Perfect

The Krups Egg Express Egg Cooker was recommended by Thomas Hundt in his amazon review post.

Krups Egg Cooker

4. Post cooking preparation

As soon as the cooking time is up, remove the eggs from the boiling water and run them under a cold running water or immerse them in a bowl of very cold water. This will stop the eggs from cooking in their own heat and will prevent a discolouration of the egg yolk that sometimes forms.

5. Serving the eggs

When the eggs have cooled slightly and you are able to pick them up without scalding your fingers, position them in an eggcup with the smaller end at the bottom. Serve with soldiers, a slice of buttered bread or toast cut into strips, and a little salt on the side of the plate. While researching this piece, I stumbled accross a soldier making device which only the British could devise, Perfect-Soldiers.

On a personal note, I prefer using a mother of pearl, shell or bone spoon as metal spoons negatively affect the taste.

6. Egg Etiquette

According to Wikipedia, egg etiquette differs. "Some believe it is correct to cut the top from the egg with a knife, and then to use a teaspoon. Others break the eggshell gently by tapping with a spoon. Others believe that cutting the egg lengthwise is the proper way to eat the eggs as two halves are produced thus making it easier to scoop the egg from its shell. This method requires a horizontal egg cup to keep the egg from rolling around on the plate." I prefer using the simplicity of an egg cutter.

WMF Gourmet Egg Cutter

Bon appetit!

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The story on Palm's Treo 680

nobody@vox.com(andreas838) — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 01:31:34 +0100

As I stated in my amazon review on the Treo 680, although there are problems, theTreo 680 is one of the best smartphones on the market, particularly if you want good PDA functionality or are a PalmOS devotee.

Palm Treo 680

One of the worst problems is the performance of the new battery. As I stated in another related review, the only good thing one can say about the Treo 680 battery is that it's thinner. The battery for the Treo 650 basically got one through a normal business day. As the Treo 680 battery only lasts a 4-5 hours under business use, the descriptive adjectives that come to mind are: deplorable, distressing, lamentable, unsatisfactory and unsuitable.

Treo 680 Battery

Thankfully, Waldo commented on my review that there was a solution for the battery problem. Treonauts says that poor battery life may be due to "an incorrect first charging of the device." They recommend following the steps below to solve the issue:

1. Connect your Treo to a wall charger.
2. Remove the battery from the Treo and wait for at least one minute.
3. Remove the SIM card from the device and wait for another minute.
4. Put the battery back into the device (without the SIM card) then let your Treo charge for at least 4 to 6 hours and for this duration:

Do NOT press any key after reinserting the battery.
Do NOT switch your TREO On or Off either, it will do so automatically after a short time.
Do NOT enter the SIM card PIN if prompted to do so, just wait!

After this procedure, which can be performed and repeated any time, you will now dispose of the full charging capacity and the display of the remaining battery power will work correctly.”

I did this and so far there is a noticable difference.

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Midsomer Murders demystified and localised

nobody@vox.com(andreas838) — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 18:12:54 +0100

We immensley enjoy Midsomer Murders, a popular British TV series about murders that take place in the fictional English county of Midsomer. It is based on the crime novels by the author, Caroline Graham. First shown in the UK in March 1997, filming is currently underway for the 11th season. The show enjoys great ratings and the feature-length drama attracts a number of well-known British actors from the stage and screen in guest-starring roles.

Filming takes place on location in the English counties of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Oxfordshire and Surrey which offer some of the most picturesque and cozy villages in the UK. For those who have said it would be great to visit those locations one day, thank Helen Hackwell of midsomermurders.net for adding the location photographs to her website as shown below for the episode 'The Killings at Badger's Drift'.

She organised them by episode, "each includes the names of the towns and villages that were used for filming and a simple gallery to display the photos." Helen also discovered that Buckinghamshire has created a website dedicated to following the Midsomer Murders trail to encourage tourism.

For those of the US fans that were struggling with the DVD publisher's illogical set numbering, I wrote the following review on amazon.com. "For those new to the series, I would recommend viewing the series in the order in which it was aired, not by the consecutive order of the Set numbers. For instance, "Set 5" is actually Season 1 which aired in 1998. "Set 4" is mostly Season 5 which aired in 2002."

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The great saga of Babylon 5 is best enjoyed in the correct viewing order

nobody@vox.com(andreas838) — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 15:03:02 +0100

As a lover of sci-fi series, it's great to see the Babylon 5 series sold as a set. However, the reality for the B5 connoisseur is that if you want to really the whole saga, this isn't the Full Monty. You should also purchase "Babylon 5 - The Movie Collection" and the B5 spin-offs "Crusade - The Complete Series" and "The Legend of the Rangers".

As the other episodes and movies take place in diverse locations along the saga's timeline, the obvious question arises. What is the best viewing order? My recommendation is shown below as well as posted in a review on amazon.com.

Recommended Viewing Order
1. Watch the B5 movie "The Gathering"
The Babylon 5 pilot movie The Gathering was originally broadcast in 1993 a full year ahead of the regular show.
2. Season 1
3. Season 2
4. Season 3
5. Watch Season 4 up to episode "The illusion of truth"
6. Watch the B5 movie "Thirdspace"
7. Season 4: continue with episodes 9-22
8. Watch Season 5 up to episode "Objects at Rest"
9. Watch the B5 movie "River of Souls"
10. Watch the B5 movie "In the Beginning"
This is a prelude set 10 years before Babylon 5. Against the logic of the title, I would strongly recommend seeing it at this stage. Should one see it before Season 1, much of the suspense in the main series would be ruined.
11. Watch the B5 movie "A Call to Arms"
This movie lays the groundwork for the spin-off TV series "Crusade".
12. Season 5: watch final episode "Sleeping in light"
13. Watch Crusade Series

The question which is debated in several other reviews is: Despite the release dates of the material produced, in what order should it be seen? In particular, if the viewer is a total new comer to the series. The above is an attempt to give some structure to great content so it is more enjoyable as a complete work.

PS - It is astounding that the Warner marketing dept. gives no official recommendation on how these products should be best enjoyed.
PS 2 Update - As "The Legend of the Rangers" was released long after I finished watching Babylon 5, I'm not sure where to place this. Any comments would be appreciated.

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