HowTo linux vpn · 1 comment · 100 words · Viewed ~2,208 times
I couldn't find a simple guide to this - so these are notes to myself. Create a file called myVPN.xml: <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <AnyConnectProfile xmlns="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/encoding/" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/encoding/AnyConnectProfile.xsd"> <ServerList> …
Continue reading →food gadget review · 4 comments · 450 words · Viewed ~3,870 times
I read this wonderful article about the invention of the rice cooker and, because I am easily influenced, bought one. This is the YumAsia Panda Mini. It seemed to hit the sweet spot for physical size and price. For £80 you get a rice cooker, steamer, and utensils. Makes enough rice for 2 people. Although, when full, we felt like it was more like for 4. Depends on how hungry you are. It's …
Continue reading →censorship Social Media Social Networks · 6 comments · 500 words · Viewed ~1,403 times
I get a lot of random Twitter DMs from attractive women who are desperate to make friends with me. I usually report the obvious spammers. But a few weeks ago, one nearly slipped through the net. The woman was wearing a military uniform - a proper one, not a sexy Hallowe'en costume - and was asking a fairly sensible question of me. But something didn't sit right. Usually, these accounts have…
Continue reading →tv wiring · 5 comments · 450 words · Viewed ~3,128 times
Way back in the mists of time, the UK had a Cable TV service called Rediffusion. It had a long and noble history, but has been defunct for the best part of 40 years. All technology leaves scars on the landscape. And Rediffusion was so popular, that it had junction boxes built into the walls of houses. When we moved into our new London home, I spotted this junction box hidden behind a plant pot. …
Continue reading →linux pop_os ubuntu · 1 comment · 450 words · Viewed ~952 times
I can't think of a concise way of wording this. I have three monitors. Each has the same resolution - 1920x1080px. But each one has a different physical size - 61 cm monitor, 39 cm laptop, and 48 cm monitor. Here's my problem. When I move a window from one screen to another, the window changes size. It contains the same number of pixels, but it has different physical dimensions. Here's one…
Continue reading →covid19 future health nhs · 11 comments · 900 words · Viewed ~831 times
I wrote this before the pandemic. I chickened out of publishing it because I was working for NHSX at the time. Some of these things have come to pass. Some are yet to come. I'll never forget the look of horror on my professor's face when I told him I didn't think his university course was good value for money. I was in the first cohort of UK students paying tuition fees. A massive £1,000 per …
Continue reading →Computer Science · 2 comments · 600 words · Viewed ~430 times
Most human societies have rituals. One popular ceremony is of the young person being made a member of the tribe. For some, it is at the start of life - a Baptism or Christening. For others, it is when the child becomes an adult - Bar Mitzvah or Ritusuddhi. Most societies have marriage ceremonies - to mark the transition into a new stage of life. Houses are blessed, leaving for university…
Continue reading →covid19 fail failcamp failure WeekNotes · 31 comments · 1,200 words · Viewed ~19,261 times
A few years ago, Johannes Haushofer published a CV of failures. In it, he lists all the grants he wasn't awarded, positions he didn't get, papers rejected. I think that people need to be more open about failure. None of us are perfect - despite what our social media presence says - and all of us suffer rejection. But, by being open and honest about it, we make it easier for others to realise…
Continue reading →emoji ios power unicode · 1 comment · 300 words · Viewed ~293 times
It has been four years since Unicode officially accepted our Power Symbols proposal into the standard. Now I’m delighted to announce that users on iOS 14 are finally able to use the full set of Power Symbols. ⏻ ⏼ ⭘ ⏽ ⏾ They’re available to use in the browser, in emails, and messages. Here’s how they look, in both dark and light mode: Terence Eden is on Mastodon@edentAnyone with iOS 14 able to …
Continue reading →camera gadget review webcam · 1 comment · 800 words · Viewed ~3,127 times
We're all stuck on endless video calls now, right? So it behoves you to share your face in the highest resolution possible. Because your colleagues deserve to see your wrinkles. Most laptops have pathetic 720p webcams built in. Which is weird, because even the most basic smartphone has a front-facing camera capable of 4K photos. Some can even do 4K video. The good folks at INDMEM have sent me a …
Continue reading →eink technology · 1 comment · 300 words · Viewed ~556 times
A little under a year ago, I got a Boyue Likebook Ares eReader. I use it most days. Recently, I noticed a yellowing discolouration around the edge of the screen. I've boosted the contrast of those images. It's the sort of thing the human eye can detect under decent light, but cameras struggle with. At night, it isn't noticeable. But in daylight, the yellowing discolouration is pretty…
Continue reading →Doctor Who dvd review · 500 words
The Web Planet puts the first Doctor and his companions in the middle of a war between two alien races - the moth-like Menoptra and a hostile race of ant creatures known as Zarbi - for possession of the planet Vortis. With the help of a grub-esque people called the Optera, the Doctor discovers the Zarbi's hidden weapon; the seductively voiced spider creature the Animus, which plans to ensnare…
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