Awesome! I just finished converting my physical Windows Home Server (WHS) system into a Virtual VMWare system that is now hosted in VMWare Server on my newly built 2TB Home Theater PC. The Atom/ION processors in the Theater PC happily run the VM and play/record live TV or HD video simoultaneously. I had an issue with the virtual network adaptor saying 'network cable unplugged' but I fixed that with a quick reinstall of VMServer. That's sliced my electricity bill in half! POW!
The coolest thing about this is that I actually converted the pre-exsisting WHS system using VMWare Converter and then mounted it onto VMWare Server, so I didn't have to do a clean install of WHS and I've still got my old backups, addons and data. Woo!
Wednesday, 28 October 2009
Tuesday, 27 October 2009
Extreme Wifi
Once again it has been flipping ages since I made a post, I really need to sort that out!
Since the last post... the Bathroom isn't finished but I have tiled all of the walls! I've put up a new fence in the back garden and a nice little wall light. I've also started to build some cupboards in the front room although need more wood for that!
More recently, I've just bought Snow Leopard for my MacBook which is pretty nice, although there really aren't any differences that seem significant enough to mention, just lots of nice little tweaks. I also bought an Airport Extreme wireless router and it's improved my wireless networks range and stability dramatically. I had recently resubscribed to EVE Online and had discovered the cause of frequent connection drops was my old wireless router, a Netgear DG834 that was suffering from massive packet loss (5-30% www.pingtest.net). After switching to the Airport Extreme I have 0% loss 100% of the time, perfect! No more connectivity or streaming issues for me!
Anyway, I'm almost certain nobody intentionally reads these posts so I'll shut up'a'ma face already.
I
Since the last post... the Bathroom isn't finished but I have tiled all of the walls! I've put up a new fence in the back garden and a nice little wall light. I've also started to build some cupboards in the front room although need more wood for that!
More recently, I've just bought Snow Leopard for my MacBook which is pretty nice, although there really aren't any differences that seem significant enough to mention, just lots of nice little tweaks. I also bought an Airport Extreme wireless router and it's improved my wireless networks range and stability dramatically. I had recently resubscribed to EVE Online and had discovered the cause of frequent connection drops was my old wireless router, a Netgear DG834 that was suffering from massive packet loss (5-30% www.pingtest.net). After switching to the Airport Extreme I have 0% loss 100% of the time, perfect! No more connectivity or streaming issues for me!
Anyway, I'm almost certain nobody intentionally reads these posts so I'll shut up'a'ma face already.
I
Tuesday, 31 March 2009
Space Bathroom!
So I've not posted in a while. Most unlike myself I know! Well my excuse is that I've been busy. My free time is like my skill queue in EVE Online. I just don't leave time unallocated, theres always something I can find to do. As you may have guessed, playing EVE is one of the things I've been doing lately. I'm immersing myself into that virtual world to deal with the loss of another; Battlestar Galactica. The last episode has been and gone, an era has ended, but in EVE it lives on for me. I've replaced the in game ambient music with a playlist heavily dominated by four Battlestar soundtracks, it's awesome!
In other news, I've installed the iPhone OS 3.0 beta and now have copy & paste (using that feature as I write this from my iPhone). I also have Internet tethering, so I can finally get my laptop online anywhere I go.
Last but not least I've been working on my new bathroom. The new suite arrived lady Friday and I started bashing tiles off over the weekend. I've then got to find some new tiles and a shower, then fit it all. As usuall I'm learning as I go, it's all good fun :)
One last thing, I think Twitter is trying really hard to stalk me into signing up. I think I will give in and most likely become addicted to it but I'll say this now; I don't see the point in following celebrities, so I'm not going too! I'm tired of playing hard to get with social networking sites, the peer pressure is an incredible force of marketing power! I resisted myspace- I wasn't in a band, but signed up eventually. Facebook I took the stance 'but im on myspace, why do I need facebook'. That didn't last long, tobe fair I never use myspace, it's always facebook. Anyway, this subject is a nightmare and I refuse to argue it out with myself! I'm off to open a twitter account...
In other news, I've installed the iPhone OS 3.0 beta and now have copy & paste (using that feature as I write this from my iPhone). I also have Internet tethering, so I can finally get my laptop online anywhere I go.
Last but not least I've been working on my new bathroom. The new suite arrived lady Friday and I started bashing tiles off over the weekend. I've then got to find some new tiles and a shower, then fit it all. As usuall I'm learning as I go, it's all good fun :)
One last thing, I think Twitter is trying really hard to stalk me into signing up. I think I will give in and most likely become addicted to it but I'll say this now; I don't see the point in following celebrities, so I'm not going too! I'm tired of playing hard to get with social networking sites, the peer pressure is an incredible force of marketing power! I resisted myspace- I wasn't in a band, but signed up eventually. Facebook I took the stance 'but im on myspace, why do I need facebook'. That didn't last long, tobe fair I never use myspace, it's always facebook. Anyway, this subject is a nightmare and I refuse to argue it out with myself! I'm off to open a twitter account...
Saturday, 14 March 2009
Ohhhhhh...
Wow, that was cool. I think.
I just plugged my blog into facebook. It seems to have spat out the last 3 posts on my facebook profile page and shoved all the rest under the Notes section. That's instantly boosted the visibility of my posts in seconds lol
I do still have my blog nested on my half-built half-arsed website www.ajlawson.co.uk but I think this tie-in with facebook will be way more accessible.
I just plugged my blog into facebook. It seems to have spat out the last 3 posts on my facebook profile page and shoved all the rest under the Notes section. That's instantly boosted the visibility of my posts in seconds lol
I do still have my blog nested on my half-built half-arsed website www.ajlawson.co.uk but I think this tie-in with facebook will be way more accessible.
Saturday, 14 February 2009
Ch-ch-changes...
Trying to post regularly but failing as usual. Here's a brain dump to fill the gap since my last post.
Bathroom
We bought one, well a bath, toilet and two sinks anyway. Still need to get tiles and a shower though and need to learn how to plumb!
Plumbing
Sticking with the theme; I fixed our dishwasher avoiding an overdue replacement. Tomorrow I'll be attempting to move the washing machine. This means fitting a new drainage pipe which should be easy enough.
Media Center
I finally got the old HP box I got on ebay to run stable as a Vista Meda Center PC and after 4 days solid uptime installed some updates and addons that killed it. It now bluescreens unless booted in safemode. Sod it, I'll go backto using my main PC instead. I've got Windows 7 on there anyway so not only is it stable and fast, its also the latest edition of Media Center so it looks awesome. Oh, and my HDTV's connected to it!
Work
Things are starting to pick up, I've got to learn Delphi in order to support some old code. It's weird but I'm getting used to it fast. Going to be moving desk sometime next month too, hope I get a good one. Haven't had to move in almost two years and I like where I am.
More Snow
We had a little bit more snow but nothing much. Enough for the students down the street to build a snowman, but only just. I hurt my foot somehow walking on the ice to work too.
Excercise
Sam found a stupidly cheap excercise bike today so we got one. We've been after one for a while, now all we have to do is use it! Hopefully this wont break like the cross trainer, else we'll have to start buying decent equipment instead of the cheap stuff.
Sleep
Has been lacking, good night.
Bathroom
We bought one, well a bath, toilet and two sinks anyway. Still need to get tiles and a shower though and need to learn how to plumb!
Plumbing
Sticking with the theme; I fixed our dishwasher avoiding an overdue replacement. Tomorrow I'll be attempting to move the washing machine. This means fitting a new drainage pipe which should be easy enough.
Media Center
I finally got the old HP box I got on ebay to run stable as a Vista Meda Center PC and after 4 days solid uptime installed some updates and addons that killed it. It now bluescreens unless booted in safemode. Sod it, I'll go backto using my main PC instead. I've got Windows 7 on there anyway so not only is it stable and fast, its also the latest edition of Media Center so it looks awesome. Oh, and my HDTV's connected to it!
Work
Things are starting to pick up, I've got to learn Delphi in order to support some old code. It's weird but I'm getting used to it fast. Going to be moving desk sometime next month too, hope I get a good one. Haven't had to move in almost two years and I like where I am.
More Snow
We had a little bit more snow but nothing much. Enough for the students down the street to build a snowman, but only just. I hurt my foot somehow walking on the ice to work too.
Excercise
Sam found a stupidly cheap excercise bike today so we got one. We've been after one for a while, now all we have to do is use it! Hopefully this wont break like the cross trainer, else we'll have to start buying decent equipment instead of the cheap stuff.
Sleep
Has been lacking, good night.
Monday, 2 February 2009
Snow
We're in London for the long weekend since Friday. Me, Sam, Ryan are staying with my sister Kim. Our trains and flights home should be tonight but it snowed more than it has since 1991 and all transport is suspended! We might get out tonight but not if it keeps snowing.
Let me rewind to friday and cover the weekend so far. Me and Sam arrived about midday and met Ryan and Kim then went for a coffee. Later we went around the science museum and me and Ryan saw Les Miserables. It was good, we were sat really high up though!
On Saturday we walked around half of London and saw a bunch of sights then got some food in the Hard Rock cafe.
Sunday we got tickets for the open top tour bus, froze half too death and covered pretty much all of the city. Shortly afterwards, while we watched The Dark Knight in the Imax London, and most of the country was covered in snow. We struggled to get home with most trains delayed or cancelled. We made it halfway then got a cab. The cab spun off on a corner but we were all fine. I think it shook the driver up so I tipped him well and told him not to rush home.
Monday we awoke to over a foot of snow and news that all transport was off. We were going to visit the History and British museums for their respective exhibitions on Darwin and Babylon. Instead we played in the snow and built a snow woman. I fell throwing an iceberg of a snowball and split my knee open but only noticed an hour later when I realized my leg was wet with the blood. Now all fixed up and about to eat some home made sushi.
We'll see if it stops snowing. It looks unlikely!
Let me rewind to friday and cover the weekend so far. Me and Sam arrived about midday and met Ryan and Kim then went for a coffee. Later we went around the science museum and me and Ryan saw Les Miserables. It was good, we were sat really high up though!
On Saturday we walked around half of London and saw a bunch of sights then got some food in the Hard Rock cafe.
Sunday we got tickets for the open top tour bus, froze half too death and covered pretty much all of the city. Shortly afterwards, while we watched The Dark Knight in the Imax London, and most of the country was covered in snow. We struggled to get home with most trains delayed or cancelled. We made it halfway then got a cab. The cab spun off on a corner but we were all fine. I think it shook the driver up so I tipped him well and told him not to rush home.
Monday we awoke to over a foot of snow and news that all transport was off. We were going to visit the History and British museums for their respective exhibitions on Darwin and Babylon. Instead we played in the snow and built a snow woman. I fell throwing an iceberg of a snowball and split my knee open but only noticed an hour later when I realized my leg was wet with the blood. Now all fixed up and about to eat some home made sushi.
We'll see if it stops snowing. It looks unlikely!
Thursday, 29 January 2009
Getting Organised
It's been a busy week of organising stuff, both for my trip to London and also my online presence. As far as London is concerned I think I'm on top of things, just a few things to pack tonight and I'm good to go tomorrow morning. My online state of affairs is not quite so organised. I've been trying out some new services for blogging (and web hosting) and found they're not as good as blogger. So I've re-located my blogger site to this new URL and I hope to get it embedded into my iWeb/MobileMe site soon. I'm a little concerned that iWeb is too limited as a platform to build my site with because you cant actually access the HTML at design time. Editing it after you publish means you'll overwrite your customisations next publish. It does have some nice templates though, so i might stick with it. MobileMe on the other hand has really impressed me so far, but I'm glad I waited past the initial roll out of the service. Even now theres a few bugs with calendar syncing and timezones that are pretty confusing.
Anyway, I need to get some lunch now, kthxbai.
Anyway, I need to get some lunch now, kthxbai.
Saturday, 17 January 2009
Epic Win
Last night was my annual company party- sort of a belated Christmas party, but it's always arranged for January. Probably a politically correct thing or cost saving thing. Anyway, it was my second time at one of these do's and I approached it with caution, last yr I fell victim to the lure of free wine! There's no such thing as free alcohol, you always pay for it one way or another- or if you're unlucky, you pay twice! Well last night was a victory, I didn't know if I should drink at all or just go wild. I drank a good amount really- about a bottle of red and 2 pints, then another glass or two of red back at a friends house. I also learnt that another friend is rather skilled on the piano, massively impressing me- who dropped out of lessons after two months, wish I'd stuck to it. But I wasn't very good! Anyway, I'm staying in bed till lunch. Yay.
Monday, 12 January 2009
Dining Table
It's late and I should be sleeping so this will be short. We got a new dining table this weekend and paid next to nothing for it due to a closing down sale. It's solid oak, has 4 padded chairs and two solid and should have cost around £1200 for the lot. We paid £60! I still can't quite believe it, but it's true! So that's one major exspense for the yr dealt with, bring on the next one!
Saturday, 10 January 2009
My iTunes Purchases
Well since it's DRM free now, I have nothing to be ashamed of!
Here's my iTunes Widget:
Here's my iTunes Widget:
Wednesday, 7 January 2009
MacBook - First Impressions
Awesome! It's solid, attractive and fast, with great battery life- even hammering the battery by installing software for 3 hrs didn't flatten it! For just browsing you'd get over 5hrs, with dome YouTube it's less but even streaming YouTube constantly it's about 2.5hrs. I installed Spore under OSX and it runs great on max settings. I dual booted with Vista and installed Crysis, which ran and looked great on the bottom settings with native resolution. I'll try see how high that can go!
Sunday, 4 January 2009
Alu MacBook on it's way...
I just ordered an Alu MacBook 2.4Ghz yesterday. I spent November and December trying to find another option but ultimatly couldn't. I was drawn to the HP Pavilion Tx2 series, which should launch in the UK this month. These are convertable tablet pc's and this new model has a capacitive touchscreen like an iPhone. That means it responds not to pressure, like a resistive touchscreen, but to capacitance in your fingertips! This makes the user experience feel light, responsive and more precise. It also gives better image quality because there is no resistive layer in front of the screen. Another tempting feature of the Tx2 is multi-touch, the ability to use multiple fingers simultaneously to perform gestures that might zoom or rotate your view. That's a cool feature, but Windows XP and Vista aren't designed for multi-touch. Instead the drivers map gestures to a keyboard shortcut for existing functions that perform the desired action. For example; you gesture to rotate an image left, the driver sends Ctrl + Left to the app and the app responds with a function that rotates left 90 degrees. This sort of works but looks and feels rubbish, it's too disconnected from the user for them to feel any sense of direct control. Windows 7 should solve this, but that's not out yet!
Anyway, I want to summarise the pro's and cons of the MacBook in relation to the Tx2. Yes, I know it's a bit like comparing chalk with cheese but that's the real world for you!
Pro's
* Build quality & design
* Weight & size
* Battery life
* Graphics performance
* Boot Camp (it'll be a powerful Vista laptop too)
* Almost no heat
* Almost no fan noise
Con's
* No touch or pen input
* Not a tablet!
* No fingerprint reader
* More exspensive
So to conclude; it's MacWorld Monday and if Steve Job's announces a tablet MacBook with all the features of the 2.4Ghz MacBook and a capacitive touch screen for around the same price- I WILL cry!
Incidentally, it should arrive Tuesday. Given my track record with blogging- don't expect to hear from me till about June!
Anyway, I want to summarise the pro's and cons of the MacBook in relation to the Tx2. Yes, I know it's a bit like comparing chalk with cheese but that's the real world for you!
Pro's
* Build quality & design
* Weight & size
* Battery life
* Graphics performance
* Boot Camp (it'll be a powerful Vista laptop too)
* Almost no heat
* Almost no fan noise
Con's
* No touch or pen input
* Not a tablet!
* No fingerprint reader
* More exspensive
So to conclude; it's MacWorld Monday and if Steve Job's announces a tablet MacBook with all the features of the 2.4Ghz MacBook and a capacitive touch screen for around the same price- I WILL cry!
Incidentally, it should arrive Tuesday. Given my track record with blogging- don't expect to hear from me till about June!
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