at paul.mooney@bluewavegroup.eu, all of these beep.

Above, iOS device(s), Android, Symbian, Winmob6 and Blackberry.  All using Blackberry Enterprise server and Lotus Traveler.

I started off with the apple mighty mouse.  Not good.  Then, onto the magic mouse.  Much better.  Now (well a week ago) I moved to the magic trackpad.   Being a Macbook Pro user / trackpad user,  using this device is simple for me, and already the magic mouse has gone from my desk.  Installation is exactly what you would expect from apple hardware.  Painless, and the feel and usage of the device is natural.  While other companies slowly realise that touchscreen desktops/laptops are counter-intuitive and tiring for users, apple nails it with the pad.

Recommended.

And all in all, I can say my impression of it has not been positive.  I love the build and feel of the device, but there are so many issues in heavy usage that I am seriously considering moving back to the trusty Blackberry Bold.

• The OS is slow.  Too slow.  If I am typing in a name to make a call I don’t want to be waiting.
• Simple dial options that were no-brainers in the bold just don’t work for me.  Type in the first few letters of a persons name and hit the call button and it makes a call.  Not here.
• The device constantly switches to speakerphone when I am on a call.  Very annoying.
• The OS is good, but not as intuitive as I like
• The touch screen is not a patch on the iPhone.  Waaayyy better then the Storm (which I gave away).
• Worst lock button.  Ever.  I do not trust my BB Torch in my pocket.

Another few weeks and I will make my final call.

Again – better then 2008 on Mac, but not finding this stable.

After the rain-soaked bliss of NLLUG, followed by the Lotusphere hog ride, the thoughts of hauling my bike out for a long long run did not appeal.  Then came Theo.  Then came BLUG.  The event is shaping into something rather special, with a veritable who’s who attending.  I was lucky enough to have a session selected, so off I go.  Book a flight and get there in 90minutes. It is still spring in North East Europe.  Flying is the sensible approach.  Yep..  yessir.

or…

Insanity prevails. The BLUG bike trip is born.  For those interested, here is the rideout.

Day 1 (29th March)

Leave my home in Belfast.  Ride to Dublin and say hello to my Mam.  Grab a warming cuppa and head to the ferry.  Sail to Holyhead in Wales.  Ride from there to Birmingham and stay with family.  All in all, 6 hours riding.

Day2 (30th March)

Leave Brommie early and head to London, where Mr Tim Clark will be waiting on his bike for me.  Meet up with Tim (and possibly others) and ride to the Channel Tunnel in Folkestone.  Get out at Calais and Ride to Antwerp for BLUG.  Estimated 6 hours riding.  Drink heavily.

Day3 (31st March).

Geeky goodness.  I have been asked to host the speedgeeking session.  Drink light (hopefully).

Day 4 (1st April)

Present my Adminblast session at 9am.  Say goodbye to Tim and friends and at 10.30am get my ass to Calais and get the earliest chunnel possible to Folkestone.  Then its Folkestone to Stranraer (in Scotland) for the night ferry to Belfast.

Estimated 11 hours riding.  Collapse into bead.

That is the plan. About 1500 miles (2300Km) on my CBF600 SA.  Any advice, ideas, suggestions or offers of riding along will all be very much accepted with gratitude.  And Mr. Robichaux, I will have a passenger.

Good to see it continues the tradition of its predecessor. In fairness, it is a *lot* better then 2008 version.

Personal rant – feel free to move past.

Virgin Media have some of the most pleasent telephone operators I have come accross.  That is the only positive thing I can say about them.   Since moving to Belfast, I have been with Virgin Broadband, and in my last two houses, had their fiber optic broadband.  All was good.  I now live across the street from my first home.  On the same road.  And FOR THE SAME PRICE I could only get ADSL (6mb) link and no cable TV.  So I had to switch to sky for the telly.   As of this evening, this is the status of my current 6MB link.  There is nothing else using the link in my house and I rebooted my Mac and plugged the ADSL link direct into the test port on the phone junction box (also restarted the routers just in case).

How about this?

I have contacted cablemystreet at virgin and asked if it was possible to get Fiber.  After five weeks the answer is no as it is not cost effective.  I offered to pay the cost of fitting (£550) and they respond with a no, as it will take all the people on our side of the street to agree to do that before they will fit the cable.  I hate to mention this again, but I see the virgin vans fitting Fiber accross the street.  Im tempted to knock on a door and ask to pay their broadband bill and cable it to my house myself.  Yes, I’m that desperate.  I work from home a lot.  I need a decent link (not *want* a link, *need* a link).

Has anyone got any recommendations for good broadband options.  Consider that the house only has ADSL access.  I am very open to suggestions.