I love testing in production. The thrill of accidentally publishing some dummy data - or taking down an entire website - is similar to skydiving without a parachute. Exquisite excitement followed by heart-stopping terror. Before going live with a new website or service, it's sensible to test how text looks on it. Most people don't test with readable text - it's too easy for management to start…
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As of today, I've been on the Mastodon social network for 10 years. I think that deserves a little reflection and celebration. Post by @Edent@mastodon.social View on Mastodon Social networks often launch in a blaze of glory but limp out of existence within a year or so. How many services have you signed up to, only to gradually drift away from? If you're anything like me, your password…
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The most common way people experience classical style music these days is via movies and video-games. After seeing The Force Awakens - live in concert, I've become rather a fan of watching movies performed with a live soundtrack. But what about watching a video game with orchestral accompaniment? We travelled up to Wolverhampton to see "The Witcher": A one-of-a-kind live event that transforms…
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I did not care for this one bit. I found it cloying, infantilising, and far too circuitous. It starts off as a bit of an overwritten melodrama, where every phrase is a delicious flower waiting to bloom, but ends up being a over-sugared mess with a rotten heart. Parts are just exhausting to read, with no time to catch your breath between scenes. That can work in some books when spaced out -…
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These are easily the most comfortable headphones I've worn. I've literally had them clipped around my ears all day without noticing them. The good folks at SoundPEATS have sent me their latest cans to wrap around my lugs. I'm a big fan of these new-style "clip on" headphones. Rather than encasing your ears, or sticking way down into the wax-mines, these clip over your ear. It isn't a tight…
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It is hard to write a book in the second person. It is even harder to make it this good. It would have been easier to write a salacious cash-in with a dozen shocking revelations in each chapter. Instead, Andrew Hankinson attempts to use Raoul Moat's own words to build up a picture of the man. You have nine days and your whole life to prove you are more than a callous murderer. Go. It is…
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Why shouldn't an opera be set in an office? Not merely set there; performed there! On Saturday night, a couple of dozen audience members were ushered in to a genuine office in Tooting to watch a short comic opera by Opera UnTouched. It was a burst of sunshine in a rainy day. We're at Ben's leaving party. A flustered woman is busy on the telephone. Will Ben ever get her attention? Both Grace…
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Whenever a company asks me to review their gadgets, I always ask if it is USB-C powered. If not, I'm not interested. So, welcome to the future where your chair is USC-C rechargeable! WHAT?! The LiberNovo Omni looks like a standard office chair - but has two secret features. First, is that it is exceedingly comfortable. Full foam cushions, lovely headrest, and a recline which almost gets you…
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After reading Evie King's previous book Ashes To Admin - Tales from the Caseload of a Council Funeral Officer I was eager to read her not-quite-a-sequel. We know what happens after death; paperwork. Gas bills need to be cancelled, funeral wishes need to be carried out, money needs to be apportioned between warring family members. When you die, you won't be there to experience the annoyance and …
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A few days ago I booked a Novotel hotel on Booking.com - two days later I received these phishing messages via WhatsApp. Both knew my exact name, phone number, location of stay, and date of stay. Luckily, both were fairly inept. Let's take a quick look at them. The first came from a Portuguese business account. Obviously the name doesn't match that of the large chain hotel I booked with. The …
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The good folks at Mokin have sent me their new USB-C hub and it is a beast. This is the MODK2403 - the latest in their line of high-tech USB-C docks. It does close to everything you could want and has an LCD monitor for showing the weather. Errr… What? OK, a quick product shots, then on to the specs. On to the ports: Triple display Either 3x HDMI or 1x HDMI and 2x DisplayPort 4x U…
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This is a charming and funny book all about the various ways humans have promoted fake medical cures in exchange for money. Despite the grim (and occasionally distressing) subject matter, the tone remains light and poppy throughout. There are lots of snarky asides (especially about the fake medical practitioners) and a real appreciation for the bizarre. It's fun the whole way through, although …
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